Penelope
by flyawaymydarlings
Summary: A series of short slices-of-lives ooh, that's fun to make plural, based off my OTP pairing in an RP. The stories will follow Romana II, The 10th Doctor, and their daughter, Penelope. Not in chronological order, and no set plot or post size. For Davey, for making the ship happen, despite my initial reluctance.
1. Chapter 1

Aging was a funny thing with Time People, when they were conceived in a more human fashion. Up until they were internally aged to roughly eight years old,- in Earth terms, that is- the process was unpredictable. For some, they could live a hundred years on Gallifrey and not be over two years old. For others, they go through the entire eight in a matter of days. Either of those extremes were probably both annoying and heart(s)breaking to the child's parents, although it was a rarity for Time People to choose this was of conception anyway. There was much too much intimacy involved, and Gallifrey was not a planet known for their love towards each other. Most marriages were fixed- when consensual by both parties, and most births were from Looming, the desire for children tending to lack on the planet.

However, that wasn't the case for Romana and the Doctor. They were in love. It was funny, looking back on it all. The absurdity of being thrown into a paradox never meant to happen, bordering on the lines of reality itself. Yet it had saved the Doctor's life, prolonged his time left from four knocks to… forever, so it seemed.

There was a downside, of course. Neither Romana, currently in her blonde second regeneration, nor the Doctor, in his skinny, voluptuous-haired tenth, could regenerate. If either was killed… That was the end. Yet, there was no aging to worry about; not even at the snail-paced process the average Time Person went by. No, they were two souls, four hearts, frozen in all of time and space, with only each other to share this eternity with. And that was good, for a while.

But eventually just the two of them got… Routine, no matter the amount and variety of adventures they would goon. Together, they had done everything in all of several worlds that two people could do. Seen more, heard more, known more, _lived_ _more _than anyone else in the history of the universe, and several others. Everything, that is, but one thing… Have a child.

Over time, that was conquered as well. The idea caused worry between both of them; Romana, fearing her motherly abilities, the Doctor, fearing his ability to love their child as much as he had the ones from oh so long ago… The ones whose faces' he could only barely recall now. They were his children, but he had never been their father. Maybe that's why he had run off with Susan. Then, he had felt he needed a second chance, and his granddaughter was a way to try again. With Susan, he was much more the parent he would have liked to been… But even her upbringing had been lacking.

And the Doctor more than anything didn't want to prove himself unsatisfactory to Romana's child. To _their _child. He couldn't let her down like that. More than that, there was always a present sinking feeling he was abandoning his former family, by starting this new one. The one he had lost, and only had vague memories of… He was replacing them. And that was a horrible feeling for a father to have.

This all caused some distancing during Romana's pregnancy, which of course, led to worry and conflict. All their decisions were called into questioning, and it was terrifying, for both of them.

Yet somehow, all that fear, reluctance, insecurity vanished, the moment she arrived.

"She needs a proper Gallifreyan name, doesn't she?" He had whispered to his wife, holding the small, dark-haired girl, so new, so innocent, and _so _unknowing of the adventures that lay ahead for her, in his arms for the first time. That only warranted a snort from Romana.

"Why? So she can be stuffy and boring?" She had reclined back in the bed, looking at the pair, with eyelids half shut. "No," she yawned, blinking heavily, "No, something pretty… Earthly. I've become rather fond of that planet as well."

The Doctor knew exactly the name. The one of the woman on Earth he had loved more than all others. "Penelope." He mumbled. "Why not Penelope?"

A faint smile crossed Romana's lips, as her eyes shut completely. "Penelope." She repeated, voice barely above a whisper. "It's perfect. Perfect Penelope."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been about two and a half years, -again, Earth terms- and Penelope was nearing the age of eight, which essentially entailed problematic situations and decisions the Doctor and Romana were diligently putting off, like the mature Time People they were.

Living in the moment was much less stressful. Today, Romana had been working in her lab all day, along with Penny who was the perfect helper. Romana worked in her lab as some mom's did the kitchen. However, what she made was rarely edible. Today it was a simple little toy. She had begun to see the use of toys, something she had previously found to be ridiculous wastes of time. Having children changed how people see the world in varying amounts of ways, some more significant than others.

Penny wasn't quite tall enough to see over the counter at what Romana was making, so it was great fun for her to run around getting Romana bits and pieces, all the while trying to deduct what she was making. Her guesses would always start out logical, and slowly but surely become more and more silly, probably due to the confusion Romana would purposely cause, by sending her for items she didn't actually need as well, which Penny had caught onto.

"Is it… An abucus?"

"No."

"A sadle?"

"No."

"A grasshopper wind up doll?"

"Yes."

"Really?!"

"No."

This was how the Doctor found the pair, having been the one in the kitchen all day cooking... Well, telling the TARDIS what he wanted to make and having her do the rest for him. Not that his girls knew that. He would lose street cred if they knew he couldn't actually cook. "Soup's up!" He announced, carrying in a large tray, despite Romana's continuous protesting that eating in a lab with chemicals in the air was probably dangerous. Time People immune systems held up better, at least.

The Doctor and Romana spent the meal getting to listen to Pen recite every guess she had made throughout the day between forkfuls of spaghetti being shoved into her mouth.

It was strange… Their lives had fallen back into a routine, much more so than when they were adventuring, just Romana and the Doctor, but neither of them felt bored by it, or like each day wasn't more interesting than the last. And for them, that may have been the most profound way having a child had changed them.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor was gallivanting around the halls of the TARDIS, pirate hat on his head, eye-patch over one eye, plastic sword in one hand, nose scrunched in a snarl. "There's no use hiding, girly." He looked around corner, to see Penelope standing there, one hand on hip, the other pointing a plastic sword, with a snarl on. A quick grin broke across the Doctor's face at seeing her, her poofy hair tied back in braids, her red dress purposely slashed up for the game.

"I'm not _just _a guwl! I'm a stawr-pwiness!" She insisted, only about five. She tilted her head down, to cast a shadow over her eyes menacingly. Again, the Doctor had to fight to keep his expression serious. "And yoo awr in troubwle."

The Doctor gasped, looking terrified, "The star-princess?" He took a step back. "I… I didn't know!"

"Drop youwr sword and on youwr knees!" She demanded, tottering forward, threateningly. The Doctor immediately fell onto them, still taller than her, regardless.

"Please, have mercy! I would have never crossed you if I had known of your powers before!" He begged, sliding the toy towards her.

She stepped on the sword. "You stealed me from my pawrents, and you caught me and tied me up and made me do chores, like scrubbing and like feeding you and like singing. And that wasn't nice!"

Shaking, the Doctor shook his head. "No, you're right, it wasn't."

"_And _you tried to kill me like… Lots of tiymes!"

"Please, miss… Please, princess…. Have mercy on me. Is there anything I can do?" The eye he could see out of was wide, as he clasped his hands together, begging.

After a moment of contemplation, Penelope came to her decision. "I will not kill you, cause I'm betta den you."

A relieved sigh was pushed from the Doctor, "Oh, thank you, thank you for your kindness miss!"

"But-" She stood inches from him, frowning at him before quickly breaking character and pointing downwards, prompting the Doctor to slouch until she was able to look down on him. Once satisfied, she became serious again. "First, you must say you're sorry."

"I'm sorry!"

"And promise to be my servant!"

"Your any and every will is my command, princess."

"And… Give me your hat."

Again, he looked horrified. "No, please, not my hat. Anything else, please! Death even!"

After breaking out in pleased giggles, her determination returned. "_Youwr hat._" Feigning reluctance, the Doctor removed it, putting it on her head carefully, chuckling lightly as it slid down to her nose. She quickly dropped her sword to push and hold it up with her hands. "I'm Captain of youwr ship now. You can stand."

He chuckled again, standing, before leaning down and swooping her up, causing her to drop her grasp on the hat. He lightly tapped the edge of her nose under the hat. "Yes, my princess." She frowned slightly.

"That's Captain-Prwiness to you." She corrected, before yawning, and snuggling her head into his shoulder.

"My apologies, Captain-Princess." He rubbed her back gently, walking her to her room, thinking it was about time for his Captain-Princess's nap.


	4. Chapter 4

There was a room in the TARDIS the Doctor kept, filled with the outfits of Doctor's past… And a few present. –The paradox had given the tenth regeneration a hint to his future selves. In it strewn on tables, hung up, or thrown on the ground was a collection of odd clothes. An Astrakhan, a pair of suspenders, a frilly shirt, a comically long scarf, a stick of celery, a pair of yellow pants with black-pinstripes, a sweater patterned with question marks, an elaborate waistcoat, a leather jacket, a bow tie, a pair of black Dr. Martens…

That's where three year old-ish Penelope found herself after toddling around the TARDIS all day by herself, due to a miscommunication between the Doctor and Romana on who was watching her. Lucky for them, the TARDIS was rather keen on making sure the little girl was safe; keeping all dangerous doors locked, and manipulating the hallways so she couldn't go very far. It was rather fun, getting to babysit the little girl.

Penelope had wandered into the room, after catching a glance and becoming intrigued by a long, brightly colored jacket.

Of course, the TARDIS could only let her parents' worry go on so long –Oh, the lack of faith they had in her was annoying. She casually manipulated her halls so the turn the Doctor was heading down would lead him to his daughter. However, the Doctor rushed right past the room, thrown off by the unexpected change. It was times like these that the TARDIS wished she had eyes so she could roll them. She casually made it so that hallway looped around in a never-ending circle; closing all doors except the one of interest. For someone so genius, he really needed things spelled out for him.

Finally, he took the hint, and found his daughter sitting in said jacket, entangled in the long, multicolored scarf, Panama hat on, waving around a fob watch and giggling. Maybe it was partly due to the relief of finding her, but the whole scene struck the Doctor as hilarious.

So that's why when Romana, having also been lead to her destination by the TARDIS, found the pair, they were both on the floor in hysteric giggles. The Doctor laughing at Penelope, Penelope at the Doctor.

Romana cracked a grin, "You're both loony." She teased, giggling some herself, none of them having any solid idea of what was so funny.

The Doctor made an attempt to retort, but only managed to sway on the floor, in hysterics. Finally, gasping for breath, he sat upright. "She's got your fashion sense." He wheezed.

_"__Mine?" _ She snorted. "These are _your _clothes." This warranted him into another giggle fit.

Having officially recomposed himself, the Doctor stood and adjusted his suit, before going to Romana, wrapping his arms around her. "We best let her start choosing her own clothes."

"But what if she chooses something that doesn't match?" Romana asked earnestly, causing them to both move their gaze to Penelope, who was in a yellow shirt, blue and white striped leggings, and a white beanie with red spots.

"Compared to how you have her now?" He grinned. "I don't think they'll be much of a difference." They both began giggling again.

"What funny?" Penelope asked, attempting to crawl over while continuing to keep all components of her outfit on.

The Doctor crouched down in front of her. "Oh, we were just thinking… Did you know we have four other closets?"

The small girl's eyes widened. "Wawe?"

He pulled her to her feet, and stood up himself, reaching down for her hand, and out with the other for Romana's. "Come on, we'll show you."


	5. Chapter 5

"Why do you love Earth so much?" Practically eight-year-old Penelope asked, as she handed the Doctor showed her how to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow in the TARDIS console system. At least that's what he said he was doing. In all honesty, the constant rewiring was 90% for show, the TARDIS was a living thing that could repair herself for the most part. And all his messing about did close to nothing. The only real repairing that he could do was when she was actually hurt, and needed to be stitched up. Everything else was just a Band-Aid. Romana was across the way, also making Band-Aids, very much one for doing, but her ability to explain what she was doing to a beginner lacked. She knew what she was doing, and could word it precisely, but not quite in simplest terms. And Penelope's question, she looked to the Doctor expectantly, never quite feeling she had gotten a straight reason for that as well.

"Because…" He furrowed his eyebrows lightly, perfectly aware of the answer, but feeling now wasn't the opportune time to share. "Because the music!" He grinned, suddenly very excited, and bouncing up from the balls of his feet. Romana turned her head to sigh, knowing it to be a lie, but Penelope didn't question the motive with her father's enthusiasm.

"The music?" She repeated, following him up and around the console.

"Yes, the music! And the dancing!" He stopped moving suddenly, and turned to her, leaning down in a bow, holding his hand out. "May for this dance, m'lady?"

"But there's no music!" Penny seemed to have acquired her mother's skepticism.

"Then I suppose we'll just have to get someone to sing. Romana?" He called down.

"Busy!" Was her response.

"Well, it seems I'll have to sing and dance, in that case." He grinned, as Penelope took his hand.

"I've never danced." The Doctor chuckled, pulling her up so her feet were on his own. He leaned down to her, to whisper, "That's alright, you see… I've never sang." That got an eruption of giggles from the little girl.

"Am I dressed properly?" Never had the Doctor met someone so concerned with how they were dressed –especially considering it was a rarity anything she wore matched in the slightest. And the amount of questions she asked gave her mother a strong run for her money.

The Doctor pretended to regard her intently. "Well, let's see. Hair, poofy. Yes, good. Dress, purple, with gingham pink sleeves, very nice. Stocking, black with white polka dots. And shoes, saddle-y. Absolutely perfect!" He concluded, grasping both her hands gently. "Are you ready?" She nodded exactly, and he lurched into a pitchy version of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

"No, no, stop, stop," Penny giggled, "that's not dancing music!"

"Oh, no?" He grinned. "I suppose I'll have to do something else. A slow dance, yes?" Penelope nodded her agreement. "Alright then, how about this…" He paused, before starting, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It wasn't completely out of tune, at least. That's what Penny was to him; his own little rainbow. Always a whirl of color, both clothing and personality-wise, always the reward for the rainy days, always the reminder of why the universe was beautiful.


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't do this, I can't do this, I'm an awful mother, this is a mistake, I should go, I should just go." Romana was nearing a mental breakdown. Penelope was almost two weeks old, and refusing to eat or sleep, which meant the same was going for her parents. It was troubling, and disheartening. Romana wasn't able to provide for her daughter, and it was killing her. She felt useless, inadequate. She knew perfectly well it wasn't anything personal, but it seemed like the baby hated her. She would only nurse from the bottle, and only for the Doctor. And if Romana held her for too long, she would start crying. Progressively, it had become harder and harder to not to take the detachment personally. She didn't know why the child was acting like that, which only added to her stress, being someone who felt like she needed to understand everything.

_"__Romana." _ The Doctor sighed, bouncing the bawling Penelope in his arms, trying to calm them both down. "You're overreacting." In retrospect, that wasn't the best thing to say. She whipped to him furiously.

"That baby _hates _me, Doctor! I carried her around in my stomach, undergoing disgusting physical transformations, I gave birth to her, _which was unbelievably painful, _I have done _everything _for her and the moment I get too close, she starts sobbing!"

"That's what having a child is, Romana! It's self-sacrificing and getting nothing in return, I figured you understood that when you decided to have one!" He hadn't slept or ate much as of late, and was rather more short-tempered than he would have liked to have been. "It is stressful, and painful, and tedious!" All the yelling was truly not helping to calm Penelope down.

"Then why does anyone have children?"

The Doctor, well, snapped. "What kind of question is that?" He glared Romana, horribly upset byt her current apathy towards Penelope. "She isn't two weeks old, Romana. She's scared, and confused, and doesn't understand the world around her. Babies need complete love and attention to grow, and expand on, and you give up on her the moment she begins to get too difficult, which is _completely _out of character! I thought you would make a brilliant mother, but you're-" He cut off, suddenly aware of the broken look on his wife's face, and processing what he had said. His face fell, eyebrows raising up his forehead, mouth opening slightly. "Romana, no, I didn't mean that-"

But she had disappeared out the door. Penelope was sobbing harder, the tension in the atmosphere prompting no reason not to. Setting her down in her crib with a sigh, he did something he didn't want to do to his daughter, especially not after only a week, but feeling he had to. With a finger to his lips, he whispered, "shh," and the crying ceased. He placed his lips to the Penelope's head lightly, before following after his wife. It struck him, as he followed, that he had been so concerned with the baby's needs, he had completely ignored his wife's.

She was a first time parent with an unresponsive baby. It must be heartsbreaking. He wandered aimlessly down the infinite halls, the TARDIS in no way offering any help, meaning she was siding with Romana, but she wasn't leading him in circles, nor shutting lights off on him, so she wanted him to find the Time Lady.

After what felt like forever of no response, a door he walked by suddenly cracked open. He was quite sure that didn't happen by chance, and sure enough, inside a room filled with pillows of all shapes and sizes, was Romana, curled up in a corner, face in a pillow, body heaving, quite obviously sobbing. The Doctor felt his hearts sink to his stomach. _He'd made her cry. _Swallowing hard, he knocked lightly on the doorframe.

Like a child, she responded, "go away," not moving her head from the pillow. The Doctor's eyebrows knitted, as he began to obey her wishes, exiting the room, before pausing and going back. "What are you doing in here?" He asked softly.

"I said go away."

"After you answer my question." There was a pause, before she complied.

"I went to a room I thought you wouldn't look in." Even farther his hearts submerged. _She was hiding from him. _

"Romana…"

"Please, just leave," she finally looked up, eyes red and puffy, face shimmering with tears. _"Please." _

He thought for a moment, before shaking his head no, and going to crouch before her, only to have her visibly shrink away from him. "I'm not the kind of man who can just leave things I care about alone, Romana. You more than anybody should know that." Moving from the balls of his feet to his heel, and from his heel to sitting, he cupped her cheek, and continued. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. What I said… I didn't mean that. You know that, don't you?"

She studied his eyes stoically for a moment. "I think you meant exactly that when you said it, and feel guilty now. And I think that if you try to convince me otherwise, you'll know I'm right."

That rendered him speechless, because she _was_ right. She was rarely otherwise. There was so much he had to say, and now was the time to say it, but instead, he simply wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him, and she complied. They stayed that way for a while, never speaking, the only noise around them the familiar hum of the TARDIS.


	7. Chapter 7

They had successfully overcome the rapid aging process, and were now on the time where Penelope would slowly begin to age slower and slower. And she was about sixteen at the moment. An age that Romana was excited about, for the same reason the Doctor was stressing over it… Boys.

Whenever they were out having an adventure in a town with humanoids, there were too many teenage boys looking at her. And girls. And kerlovs, trymeers, polornines, and others. It was something that the Doctor found horribly distracting. His attempts to keep Penelope in the TARDIS had gone poorly, Romana instantly not allowing the rule as soon he put it in place.

And now, worst of all… She was going on a date. Something he was not all too happy about. Romana had told him he had to wander around the TARDIS while Penny was getting ready and picked up, probably to save Penny any pestering… However, it was never specified, simply implied, where he was to wander, and it just so happened it was across Penny's bathroom, where she was putting on… makeup? She never wore makeup.

He stopped shortly. "What… What's all this about?" He gaped from the doorframe. "You wear makeup now? For a date?"

"Dad. Go away."

"You don't have to do this now, you know. We can go somewhere else, have an adventure, come back a century or eight later."

"No, I want to do this now." She insisted, putting mascara on, as the Doctor realized something else. She was… matching. Penelope never wore anything that matched. But she was in a maroon top and black bottoms, and her usual saddle shoes were replaced with black flats. Oh, this is very not good. This is very, very not good.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Penny frowned.

"You're… You're all… You're all matchy."

Penelope simply sighed. "Mom!" Of course, it was rather useless to yell for someone in an infinite place like the TARDIS.

"Alright, alright." He put his hands up. "I'm going, just…" His eyebrows arched as he searched for words, but in the end, decided simply leaving would be better. He stole a last glance towards his daughter before leaving, and finally said the words he thought so often, but rarely voiced to his daughter. "You're beautiful, my little star princess. You always are."


	8. Chapter 8

_Crash!_

Romana had dropped the test tube she had after the Doctor had burst into the lab, panting, looking worried, "Penelope…"

She felt her hearts leap into her throat. "What? What about her?"

"She… She's incurable," he responded, causing them to sink to her stomach. He opened the door up wider, to show her standing there, only about three. The little girl looked completely normal, but with all the alien diseases out there, that was relative.

"What's wrong with her?" Romana asked, quickly undoing her lab coat and throwing her gloves off in a very unorthodox fashion, rushing over.

The Doctor tilted his head dramatically. "It's… The hiccups."

As if on cue, Penny suddenly _hiccupped, _her entire bouncing upwards in the process. Romana went through several emotions in a millisecond. Relief she was fine, anger the Doctor made her worry like that, and amusement at her daughter's problem. She quickly decided to focus on the amused feeling, and smack the Doctor later.

"The hiccups?" She repeated, matching the Doctor's worried expression as she crouched in front of Penny, who let out another _hiccup _again, head popping up and dropping again. Penny's eyes widen into saucers as her mother examined her as well.

"Dey go 'way?" She asked, clutching her mother's sleeve worriedly.

Romana glanced to the Doctor, "How long has she had them?"

"The better part of an hour." That of course, was a complete assumption, as time was relative on the TARDIS, and it was a human measurement of time anyway.

She returned her gaze to Penelope, and saw the worry in the little girl's eyes, as another _hiccup _escaped her. "You cure?" She insisted, seeming so fearful that Romana almost felt bad for the front she and the Doctor were putting on.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to try." She stood up, and reached her hand down for Penny's, who took it eagerly. "Come on." She grinned, offering her other hand to the Doctor, who also took it, with matching eagerness.

First, it was gurgling water, "Better?" _"Hiccup!"_

Then, holding her breath, "How about now?" _"Hiccup!"_

Being held upside down, "Are they gone?" _"Hiccup!"_

All three, "And?" _"Hiccup!"_

Romana frowned. "Well, there's only one last thing I can think of." The Doctor had slipped around behind them, and was crouched inches away from Penelope, eyebrows arched, tongue out, fingers scrunched in fake claws. Suddenly, Romana pointed across the room. "What's that?" She gasped. Penny turned, only to find herself face to face with her dad. "Blarhg!"

Penny immediately screamed as her dad reached out and tickled her. "You scare me!" She frowned to the Doctor. And then… Silence. And silence. And more silence. "I cure!" She grinned, looking back to her mother. "Oh, good! If that didn't work, you would have them forever." Penny toddled over to her Romana, wrapping her arms around her mother's leg. "Thank you!"

_"__Hiccup!" _Romana looked down at the little girl curiously, who frowned back up at her. "No me." The girls looked at each other for a moment, look broken by another _"Hiccup!"_ Both their gazes moved to the only other person left in the room.

The Doctor was sitting on the floor, legs stretched out, leaning back on his arms, guilty look on his face.

"Oh, not you too." Romana sighed, before breaking into a grin.

The Doctor shrugged, and opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off with another, _"Hiccup!"_


	9. Chapter 9

"Daddy!" Penelope's voice rang through the halls of the TARDIS. 'Daddy' was currently trying to take a nap, after having Romana insisting she get wanted to study the life-cycle of a bacteria-like creature called Xenogams on planet Jullonitis. Which meant that Penelope and the Doctor were getting some serious bonding time. The Doctor never realized that the little girl didn't actually tire after he played with her. He always assumed that she was probably napping when she was alone with Romana… That certainly wasn't the case. She was a constant bundle or energy… And talking. It was actually quite impressive how long she could go without taking a breath. Time People lungs. Whether it was an inherited trait from her parents, or simply an average quality for a five year old to have, he wasn't sure, but he did know that in was incessant.

Like the responsible parent the Doctor was, he had, after what felt like a long length of time alone with the little girl, dropped her off in one of the more impressive closets, and then snuck out, leaving her in the more than capable figurative hands of the TARDIS. Just went down the hall a bit, into a room filled with towels… Okay, so it was simply a towel closet, but that sounds so unimpressive. He had just laid his head down on his makeshift pillow when he heard her voice. The Doctor was exhausted, but not an inattentive parent. So, with an audible groan, he sat up again and wandered back into the closet, to see Penelope had found a tiny purple princess dress she had fitted on gleefully. Immediately, the Doctor's fatigue melted into a warm smile. She bounded over to him, stopping a few feet away and twirling, her frizzy curls swishing around. "Look at what I found! I a princess!"

"You sure are." The Doctor grinned, crouching in front of her. "My little star-princess."

Her grin widened. "But guess what else? I not just princess. I also secret warrior!" The Doctor chuckled. That would be Romana's doing, and he was right proud of it. "Everyone think I just princess and am nice and take care of the kingdom, but at night I also secret protector and I go out at night and defend the kingdom from robots and witches and werewolves and evil aliens and any bad guy!"

"You sound quite busy." He smirked.

"Horribly so." Suddenly, she seemed very tired indeed, too young to properly separate play and reality.

"Warrior-Princess," The Doctor gaped suddenly, "where's your crown? Every Warrior-Princess needs a tiara that also becomes a fierce blade."

The little girl's hands immediately came to the top of her head. "Oh no! I must have misplaced it."

"Then we best go look for it." They began searching through the TARDIS, in search of a crown. After a bit, there was a squealing from Penelope, as she summoned her father again. He assumed she had found a tiara, but instead, he found a larger replica of the dress Pen had on… Exactly in his size.

He immediately shot a glare to the wall of the TARDIS, knowing perfectly well this was no mistake. If a mechanic-like buzz could chuckle, he swore it happened. "Daddy, your dress!"

"Oh, no, it looks a bit big…"

"No, you try on!" She insisted.

"Well, it's really not my color…" His eyebrows were arched dramatically, arm up, and slowly scratching the back of his head, as he glanced down his nose at the hopeful young girl.

"Pleeeeease?" She clasped her hands in front of her, bottom lip sticking out, eyes as wide as he could make them.

_The puppy face. _"That's really not fair." No one knew how to manipulate him better than his daughter. She simply kept the position, not breaking eye contact. "Yes, alright fine, I'll try it on," he sighed, grabbing the dress, and struggling to fit it on.

Penelope squealed and clapped her hands. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled, but couldn't help grinning. He was quite intent on drawing the line at the dress, but by some magical force, otherwise known as the TARDIS, had set makeup out near two matching tiaras, along with heels, and one thing led to another and soon he was completely done up, blonde wig and all, makeup messily put on at his daughter's insistence they do each other.

And that was how the Romana found the pair hours later, marching around the TARDIS, commanding imaginary armies, Princess and Queen, and quite luckily for her, had a camera-like device she had been using to take captions of the Xenogams with. To her delight, it also worked quite well in capturing her husband and daughter in matching outfits.


	10. Chapter 10

So, this chapter is a bit different, especially formatting wise, because, with the permission of my wonderful 10 RPer, I just stole this from the RP we're doing, where, after much planning, we _finally _had Romana find out she was pregnant in character. So. Yus. Much excitement.

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**Romana** was sick. And upset. It had been quite a while since she and the Doctor had had a long discussion about love and things… Of course, they'd spoken since then, and done other things, but nothing near as intimate. Well… Maybe they had a couple more times. It was a strange way to show affection, but she would be lying if she said it wasn't enjoyable. No wonder humans found it a preferable way to repopulate. Of course, for many centuries, humans thought it was their only way to. 4003 was a fun year for them, after every possibility was open up. However, as of yesterday, Romana had found herself feeling ill. Which was frustrating, because how in the universe could she picked up a virus? Especially one so… human. She was having symptoms of a common cold. Coughing, sneezing, shivering, and she felt exhausted. Time people don't get colds. Well, they had bugs like colds, of course, but there was no way she could have gotten it. The only other Gallifreyan she had been around for months was the Doctor, and he was in perfect health. There was literally no way for her to have gotten sick. Of course, regardless, she was refusing to act like she felt under the weather. She was up and moving about the lab, building, coughing, mixing, sneezing, testing, wiping her nose, exploding, and feeling light headed. And, hiding out from the Doctor. He tended to leave her be when she was in her lab, due to her tendency to zone out while focusing on work, and either ignore him, or glare at him if he got in the way… Or somehow figure out something she missed. Help was always nice, but the cocky look he got was not so nice. So, it was perfect. She didn't want to get him sick, and she didn't want him to worry and baby her… Or put her on bed rest. That was practically torture to her, and she would simply sneak out when he left her alone, which would just lead to a long game of cat and mouse, that would lead to arguments, and that all seemed quite unnecessary and avoidable. Plus… She was gross. Sick face did not look nice on Romana. Her nose was red, her was face pale, her eyes were puffy. How embarrassing. She certainly didn't want the Doctor to see her like this, continually coughing and sneezing and whatever else. It was improper. And she wouldn't want to get him ill as well. Of course, maybe she wasn't sick at all. Maybe her body had been infiltrated by some life-threatening alien that was going to slowly take over and shut down her body, and then continue on and do the same to all the others on board. What an exciting possibility. She should probably run a scan on herself sometime soon.

**The 10th Doctor** had spent most of his day in the library, reading up on Spiernum Solsei, or the Sky of Lights; a planet lost to time and seemingly disappeared. Though this was far different than the occurrence of the twenty-seven stolen planets and Davros. According to legends, the planet would _literally _move. Transport from one place to another, one time to another, and only stayed for a brief period. The elusive planet was one many explorers galaxies renowned would sell their right arms for the chance to find, and actually, from what he heard, some had, though it obviously didn't pay off. Terrible waste of appendages. With an internal grunt, the Doctor stretched, having been sitting in the same place for hours on end, which seemed to be putting a bit of strain on him. He decided he was in need of a good walk to get the circulation back to his legs, and leaving the stacks and scattered books on the long table he had been reading at, he got up and headed out into the hall. As he made his way, aimless and wandering, something occurred to him; he hadn't seen Romana for quite a while. Usually, she spent her days in her lab, and he didn't mind, it made him rather happy she was enjoying the room he made for her to experiment all her curiosities. But at the end of the day, she would still come to his room, now _their_ room, and fall asleep in his arms. She hadn't even done that, of late. As if she had been sleeping in her lab, or perhaps avoiding him altogether. Now determined to see her, if not only to see if she was alright, but out of curiosity of whatever she was doing that made her spend all her time away in there. Or worse yet, what she _wasn't_doing and was simply staying away. It seemed the TARDIS was on his side today, as she had started to gradually favor Romana more recently '_Birds of a feather, girls flock together_' was what the Doctor passed it off as, and found Romana's lab only a short distance from where he was heading. Stopping outside the sterile white doors of the lab, he contemplated on knocking, it was only polite, but decided instead to surprise her and quietly stepped inside.

**Romana** was up against a wall, after having dropped the glass beaker she had been holding –luckily not homing any harmful chemicals- from a coughing fit. She slid down, feeling disgustingly exhausted, head all stuffy and nose running. "Ugh." She groaned audibly, before sneezing repeatedly. "Ugh, ugh, ugh." She groaned, sliding down the wall and onto her side. Scan… Definitely get scanned. This is bad. Gross. Ew. Annoying. Must go away now, yes. Her thoughts were muddled and slow and she couldn't focus. Apparently, you're supposed to rest when you're sick, not continually run around almost endless labs, work with chemicals, and lift heavy hunks of metal around. Huh. Whoops. Too late now. In fact, if anything, Romana had been pushing herself, as if to prove she wasn't sick, or maybe she thought if she didn't act like it, it would give in and go away. Of course, if the alien controlling her body theory was true, she was in for a world of trouble. No matter. So, she attempted to stand again, before that plan being thwarted by the incessant need to cough until she felt light headed. Taking a moment to compose herself, she finally stood again, and made it about halfway to the door, seeing her husband standing there. A flow of swearing in Gallifreyan passed through her mind, as she decided to attempt to put her front on. "Doctor! How are you? I was just heading out actually. I've got… A thing. In the… Place." Her mind was truly working slowly. "Right, so… Good to see you, hope for a longer stay next time." Even with the feigned chipperness, her voice was too deep and scratchy from coughing. She approached him, and attempted to make her way past him, without any physical contact. Of course, she knew it would be out of character for her not to give him a hug, or kiss his cheek, but she really didn't want to make him ill, or pass along any evil alien. But a grossly familiar tingling in the back of her throat made her scrunch her nose up and turn away, bring her sleeve to her mouth, unable to hold back her sneezing. Finally she got ahold of herself, and she was able to turn back to him. "Right, sorry about that. Must be something in the air. Old experiment gone wrong. Have to sort it out later."

**The 10th Doctor** knitted his brow, cocking his head to the side lightly in curiosity as he watched her. Something was definitely wrong, he could tell that right off. With a no-nonsense look on his face he firmly, yet gently, grabbed her shoulders as she moved by, stopping her from walking past him. "What's wrong? You look ill, are you ill?" Suddenly, a protective like concern took over his tone at the very thought as he bent down to her eye level and studied her face. Everything about her appearance said 'Sick', but how she came to be that way was something he found curious. "Was it an experiment? You're freezing!" He stated, having brought his hands to her cheeks and not leaving her to reply. "You've been spending too much time in here, locked up with hazardous gasses and toxic fumes, I was expecting this." He chided lightly, thought really he hadn't. She was an excellent chemist and a brilliant scientist, and he trusted her skill completely, but mistakes happen. Immediately, he glanced around the room looking for something misplaced, something wrong, and he found it in the shattered beaker on the ground. This should explain it. Leaving Romana where she stood, he strode over and crouched down, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the splattered contents the now broken glass once held. "What is this? Smells like Lionsinium." He sniffed, before dipping his fingertip into the lime green liquid and stuck it into his mouth. "Yup, Lionsinium. Well this isn't harmful at all." He said, with a bit of disappointment. Not in that it wasn't toxic, but that it couldn't be the reason for her being sick, then again she could have been sick for quite a while without him knowing. Standing back up, he walked over to her and took hold over her hand, pulling her towards the door. "You need a scan, can't tell anything by looks alone."

**Romana** shivered as soon as the door opened. The TARDIS had made the lab practically a furnace for her, unknown to Romana, who hadn't been out of the lab for several days, and forgotten how cold she was before. And if she had been aware of the heat, she'd have been upset, knowing it could cause a number of experiments to be messed with. But the air coming from the door outside was enough to send her a body a reminder she wasn't at normal temperature. "I'm fine, really. Just feeling under the weather. Probably just an experiment gone wrong a while ago, and the effects are just setting in is all. No big deal, really. I'll go get a scan later, I promise. I just want to rest right now." She sneezed again suddenly. "Besides, I don't want to get you ill if I have somehow been harboring some Gallifreyan virus. So you just… just… achoo! Ugh. Just stay away. I'm ill, and disgusting, and don't need you worrying about me. And if I get you sick, while I'm still ill, than who will take care of us?" She looked at him earnestly for a moment, hands on hips, in hopes the authoritive position would keep him from arguing. However, it was broken by sneezing repeatedly again, followed by shivering. "Could you please shut the door?" She groaned, before continuing. "Not that I am sick. I'm fine, just… Absolutely fine. Something is a bit off. Doesn't mean I'm sick or anything." She insisted, followed by more sneezing and coughing. "That proves nothing." She shivered, quite easily able to guess his thoughts. Of course, they were written all over his expression too. "I'm fine, really." She furrowed her brow. "Really. I'm fine." That point would have been made better if it had been followed by more coughing. "I'm just a bit cold. That's all. The TARDIS has been chilly as of late, nothing more. Have you not felt it? I'm fine."

**The 10th Doctor** folded his arms, with a stern look on his face. At first glance, it looked like what she may have was a cold, possibly the flu, but Timelord's weren't so easily taken ill. As it was, what was like a flu or cold on Gallifrey was more pneumonia or tuberculosis on Earth." Yes, you practically coughing out a lung or sneezing your brains out clearly states your fit for a clean bill of health." He replied sardonically. He fully expected her to be stubborn, he would have been shocked, and a little worried, if she had complied easily. He was also sure she would expect him to react no differently. "It doesn't matter how many times you say 'I'm fine' to try and convince yourself, but you aren't convincing me." Leaving no room for debate, he stepped out into the hall, pulled open a small panel in the wall that revealed wiring and a small monitor, and tapped in a seemingly random order on the screen before closing the panel back up. "There, should warm our way down to the med-bay. Now, you can either come along willingly, or I can pick you up and cart you off there myself, your choice."

**Romana** "Cart off, for sure." She grinned, before sneezing again. She must admit to being quite glad the TARDIS was warming. "Fine. But I'll have you know my theory is I'm being eaten alive from the inside out by some sorts of alien, and if we find that you're going to be horribly upset over it and I must say I warned you." With that, she took off in the direction of the Med-Bay, so she could feel as if she was the one who had made this decision and her wonderful caring husband hadn't.. "And if I get you sick, because I am somehow ill, also your fault. And anything else we find. All your fault." She said, coughing into her arm again. "Honestly, why is it so cold?"

**The 10th Doctor** 's lips quirked up into a light smirk at her retorts, sliding his hands into their usual and comfortable place in his pockets as he walked along side her. "Give it some time, only just adjusted the temperature." He replied, though it wasn't any more cold on board than usual. Her internal body temperature must have gone down significantly for her to think so. Thankfully, the TARDIS made it easier on both of them, having the med-bay only down a few steps and a couple turns from where they had been. Waiting for the doors to open automatically, as they usually did, he glanced over to Romana curiously, teetering on his heels before ushering her inside and over to a bed. "You lay here, I'll get the scanner." He instructed, not waiting for her to do so as he gently gripped her shoulders and guided her down onto the bed himself before heading off to find the scanner

**Romana** didn't like the way he was looking at her. Worried, and curious, a mix between caring and curiosity. It was confusing. Did he care, or was she simply something fascinating? She knew right away it wasn't that that was upsetting her. It was that he didn't know what was wrong with her either, so something was certainly up. She laid obediently, not having the energy to argue. Plus, lying down seemed nice. "Oh, can't you hurry? I'm all nervous now." She called, as another shiver went through her, yet she was still somehow sweating despite the cold. "I would like to know what's wrong, actually. I just don't want you to. But, sense you're here. Let's get on with it. Ignorance is not bliss, it's annoying."

**The 10th Doctor** searched through the nearby cupboards and table tops, finally finding the small device in a drawer of a rather cluttered cabinet. He needed to remind himself to..have the TARDIS organize it later. "Alright, hush up, I've got it." He rejoined light-heartedly, turning a dial on the side of the scanner to adjust its settings as he returned to her. "Let's see what we're dealing with, then eh?" He muttered aloud, mostly to himself, as he tilted the device up towards Romana. A series of blue rays of light emitted out, sweeping over Romana's form in alternating paths while The Doctor kept his attention on the small screen facing him, waiting as the lights analyzed and accessed all of Romana's maladies. It only took a few moments, benefits of using advanced technology from rather advanced civilizations, for the results to show. At first, he furrowed his brows dramatically, jerking his head back with a look of disbelief in incredulity on his face. "Highly unlikely, do it again." He told the scanner, to which it obeyed and scanned as he asked, returning with an answer that made him scoff. "That's not it. Again." He ordered. The scanner seemed to disagree as succession of beeps came from it. Seemingly understand what it was saying, he responded, seemingly more annoyed. "You tell me! You're a piece of medical equipment, and supposed to make the _right_ diagnosis, not make up ones that couldn't possibly be the answer. You might as well say she swallowed a watermelon seed and has one growing inside her, that's how impossible this is." The device apparently didn't respond well to that, as it went off in a long tangent of rather fast-paced and angry sounding beeps. "No, don't start that, I told you it's wrong and it is. Or do I have to decommission you and use your spare parts for a toaster?" The scanner beeped in a 'You wouldn't dare.' sounding tone. "Oh I would!" He was willing to argue to the death with the damned thing until it came up with a diagnosis he agreed with.

**Romana** "Oh would you stop yelling at the scanner?" She sighed after this had gone on for a strangely long amount of time. They honestly seemed to be in conversation. "TARDIS equipment isn't wrong and you know that. Now. What's wrong with me?" She was worried, out of the many reactions she'd expected him having, arguing with the equipment was most certainly not on the list. It was a bit frightening, actually. She figured if she was dying, he'd be a bit more in the mood of needing to fix her, and if it was an odd Gallifreyan virus, he'd be relieved. But downright disagreeing with the results… She had absolutely no idea what could warrant that reaction. He seemed… Angry? _Why would he be angry though?_ "Doctor. Please." She said, her tone changing from condescending to soft. "You're scaring me. What… What is it? What's wrong with me?" She sat up tentatively, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, and frowning when he didn't respond. "Doctor." She repeated, trying to look at him, but he seemed to be refusing to make eye contact. "This is ridiculous, I want to know." She pouted, reaching out and taking the scanner, feeling her breath catch. Whatever was wrong was quite obviously bad, and this was her last moment before knowing whatever it was that was ailing her. The last time she would be in power of it. The scanner was in her hands, but she didn't look at it, not right away. She wanted to catch the Doctor's eye, or take his hand, in some form of support, but he seemed entirely uninterested in doing so. Biting her bottom lip, she took a breath and slowly looked down to see the scanner's diagnostic. It took a moment for what she read to sink in, and after it did, she flitted her eyes back across it over and over again, in slight disbelief. _Well, that certainly explained the Doctor's reaction a bit more, but she didn't understand why exactly it would be so… No, not important._ The words floated around in Romana's head, buried by the scanner's results. Finally, she moved her head up from the screen, and to the Doctor once more. "I'm pregnant."

**The 10th Doctor** shook his head slowly as he started pacing the room. "It's wrong. Whatever it says, is wrong," He objected belligerently. Nearly anything else, measles, pocks, ebola, the black plague, the white plague, the sparkly violet plague, anything else, but this he could have accepted. "It's impossible! We haven't done anything.." He trailed off as a very particular something they did occurred to him. "But, Timelord's haven't reproduced that way in _ages!_ So long, there's no record of if it's even possible any more!" He argued, not with anyone particular, but the results that stared him in the face that he refused to believe.

**Romana** "That doesn't mean it's not. I mean, what with Tessa and Amelia, I don't see why it would be so preposterous to assume..." She frowned. _Pregnant._ She was_pregnant._ How strange. "It's unlikely, sure, but impossible… Not completely." Her grip on the scanner tightened, as if it held the answers to all the confusion flowing through her. She had absolutely no idea how she felt. Excited? Maybe. Worried? Possible. Mostly it was numb. And confused. She hadn't necessarily wanted to get pregnant, but now that she was… "It would explain things. Why I feel ill. And am freezing, with another person inside me… We are cold blooded, it would make sense…" She was focusing on logic. Logic in her confusion.

**The 10th Doctor** ran his fingers back through his hair in exasperation, making it stick up in odd places that, were this not a serious situation, would have been comical. This couldn't happen..it _couldn't_. '_Well, it obviously is.'_ his subconscious stated matter-of-factly, which made him frown down at the floor as he continued to pace, now moving a bit more quickly. Suddenly, he stopped, his hands raised with his fingers in his hair as he was about to rub then through it again, while he turned to Romana. "I need to make another one. Yes, I'll do that. Make a _better_ functioning scanner that can make a proper analysis." He stated, grabbing hold of the scanner from Romana's hands with an almost mad look of glee on his face. "Always thought we needed a new toaster." He said, in an almost threatening tone, down at the device, before he stormed off and rummaged through the cupboards for bits and pieces he could use to make a new one, which he was fully intent on.

**Romana** watched him wildly, protesting as he took the device from her, it suddenly feeling very important. It was providing a feeling of safety for her, and he had stripped it from her. The numbness was gone. She was now exposed, exposed, and frightened, and he wasn't helping. She just... She wanted it back. _That's not what you're wanting and you know it._ She quickly silenced her subconscious before they they brought unwanted thought to the surface. "Doctor, what are you doing?" She protested, finally moving to him. "Stop it. Give me the scanner." She was frowning deeply, and attempting to take it. "There's nothing... Why are you acting like this?"

**The 10th Doctor** shot his head towards her as he felt the scanner being taken from his hands. He nearly pulled it back from her, but decided she could keep it as he could decommission it at a later time. He continued his search, tossing things over his shoulder as he ran-sacked the cabinet. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't react this way; he shouldn't be spending his time focusing on looking for spare bits he could use for a device that was in no need to be made, he shouldn't be trying to disprove something he knows is true and can't be undone, and he shouldn't be so cold when his wife was most likely just as scared as he was. And there In lies the root of his problem; Scared. He was hardly ever scared. He left 'scared' back on Gallifrey as a child, along with the monsters under his bed. _He_, the Doctor, wasn't supposed to be scared. Not of something most would be elated about. And yet..he was. Terribly so. So much so, the deep rooted part of him that always took over, whenever faced with adversity or something he didn't agree with, something that terrified him, was tugging at him to act. _Run_. But how could he run away from this? Away from her? Short answer; he couldn't. He stopped, setting a random object that looked like an absurd paper weight, but was in fact an old bone-setting contraption, down and closing the door to the cabinet slowly, he looked down, the maddened frenzy of an expression he had, now gone and replaced with a vacant and absent one. "This can't be…it just..._can't_." He muttered quietly.. "This isn't how this works."

**Romana** simply gaped at him. _He thought this was horrible. He actually thinks this is horrible news. He hates it._ "Oh." She said quietly, looking down, not quite sure what else to. "Right." She sounded irresolute. Why... He liked children. She had seen him with kids. He was good with them, and she knew... _other_ him... He was quite pleased with his, so why was this him so... Disgusted by it? Romana... She had never felt more afraid in her 800+ years. But there was something else. She had never felt so alone either. She didn't know exactly how she felt, but it was nowhere near as horrified as her counterpart. _This isn't how couples are supposed to react._Suddenly she forgot how ill she felt, and simply wanted to cry. "Right. Um," her voice was stronger than she felt, as she ran a hand through her hair. "I want you to go now."

**The 10th Doctor** stared at her, with his mouth slightly gaped. He hadn't expected that reaction. He furrowed his brows sadly, eye darting between focusing on each of hers as he searched for the reason in her gaze. _He had upset her. Again._ She was hurt, too. '_And how couldn't she be? After how you reacted._ With all the questions going through his mind and the emotions coursing through him, the only thing he could manage aloud was a half-whispered and disappointed, "What?"

**Romana** simply gaped at him. _He thought this was horrible. He actually thinks this is horrible news. He hates it._ "Oh." She said quietly, looking down, not quite sure what else to. "Right." She sounded irresolute. Why... He liked children. She had seen him with kids. He was good with them, and she knew... _other_ him... He was quite pleased with his, so why was this him so... Disgusted by it? Romana... She had never felt more afraid in her 800+ years. But there was something else. She had never felt so alone either. She didn't know exactly how she felt, but it was nowhere near as horrified as her counterpart. _This isn't how couples are supposed to react._Suddenly she forgot how ill she felt, and simply wanted to cry. "Right. Um," her voice was stronger than she felt, as she ran a hand through her hair. "I want you to go now."

**The 10th Doctor** stared at her, with his mouth slightly gaped. He hadn't expected that reaction. He furrowed his brows sadly, eye darting between focusing on each of hers as he searched for the reason in her gaze. _He had upset her. Again._ She was hurt, too. '_And how couldn't she be? After how you reacted._ With all the questions going through his mind and the emotions coursing through him, the only thing he could manage aloud was a half-whispered and disappointed, "What?"

**Romana** protectively wrapped her arms around the scanner, as if a child hugging a teddy bear. "Just. _Leave._" Her voice was a hoarse whisper. Her eyes flicked from his face to the door pointedly, before she felt a sob rise up in her throat. She pushed it back, and quickly turned her head to the side, pausing for a moment, and then turning completely, slowly walking back to the medical bed, and curling on her side, back to him when she got there.

**The 10th Doctor** was frozen to the spot, watching as she walked back to her bed and turned away from him. Why couldn't he say something? The man who always managed to ramble on, know the right thing to do, well, for the most part, in any situation, was at a complete loss. Though, a part of him knew, no amount of pretty words or stubborn objections to stay could fix this. Nodding lightly to himself in understanding, he looked averted his gaze, swallowing the bitter taste of keeping his pride in check as he obliged her wish and walked to the medbay doors. As he reached them, he stopped, for brief moment, turning back to look at her. Finding her back still to him, and her form unmoved, he frowned and turned back around to head out the doors and down the hall.

**Romana** finally looked back after it felt like it had been a while. Some, unrealistic part of her was holding on a hope that he was still there, waiting, ready to apologize, or not say anything, and simply snuggle. It was a silly hope, one she didn't even realize she had until she felt disappointed he wasn't there. She turned back on her side, coughing, until the coughing suddenly wasn't coughing anymore, but sobbing. She curled up further, scanner still in her lap, it still acting as a comforter to her. Of course Romana's teddy bear would be a mechanical device. How fitting. Still, the comfort wasn't much. She still felt as though he had broken one of her hearts.


	11. Chapter 11

Penny didn't always understand why her daddy sometimes got so sad. She was much too young to understand that the world around her was incredibly complex, more so for her than anyone else so young in the entire universe. She didn't understand all she had lost. Her mother always told her to let him have his alone time when he was brooding. Romana knew if Penny was with him, he would put on a face for his daughter, and didn't find that to be good for him.

But on this occasion, he had been sad for a lot longer than he normally was, all locked away in the library, and little four year old Penelope missed her daddy. So, one day she finally snuck out of her room after pretending to fall asleep during play time, and went to find him. And she was able to quite quick, with the help of the TARDIS. But after she made to leave, she suddenly got an idea, and ran back to grab an old stuffed pig, which was one of the few stuffed animals she had, and her favorite. Then, on with her mission. The library doors were across the hall, and the bookshelves had arranged themselves to a direct pathway to the little girl's destination. That destination had was sitting on the ground, back to her, leaning on a table leg, hunched over.

Penelope crept over to him, examining him for a moment. He seemed very sad, but didn't appear to be crying. "Daddy?" She whispered, standing in front of him, pig wrapped in her arms. The Doctor looked up, his face shiny. She reached out slowly and touched his cheek, which was cold and wet. He recoiled, and quickly brought his sleeve across his face, looking back to her, goofy grin plastered on. "Penelope!" His voice cracked unwillingly with the forged chipperness. "What are you doing in here?"

His daughter, however didn't buy the charade. "I know you sad, daddy. Is okay." He watched her, a bit shocked, as she sat next to him, continuing. "Evweyone get sad sometiwme. You no need to pwretend. But, I bwring you Mr. Hubble anyway." She put the pig on his lap, which he picked up, and examined with a faint smile. "Because he is good at undwerstanding being sad. I no want to make you feel like youwr not allowed to be sad, so I go to sleep. I just wanted to make sure you not alone. Because being sad and alone is no good, no." Before he could react, she flopped on top of him, not giving him a choice into whether he wanted to be her pillow or not… He did. "I love you." She grinned, head tilted way far back, smile wide enough for it to be obvious she was missing a bottom tooth. With that, she shifted, and closed her eyes. The Doctor ran his hand across her head, repeatedly, and soon found her breathing had slowed, and light snoring –a trait she inherited from her mother- begun.

Hours later, he hadn't moved from his position, but had realized he found himself staring at the old pig on the floor absently, a smile on his face. A real smile, not one he put on. Finally, he found it in him to respond to his daughter, whether she was awake or not. "I love you too." His voice was soft, as not to wake her. But, there was something else he realized. He always thought of Penelope dependent on her parents, as all children are. But the Doctor… He needed Penelope, much more than she needed him.


	12. Chapter 12

Penny liked to crawl around. In fact, the one-year-old was almost always on the move. She didn't crawl for a while though. First it was rolling, and then scooting her bum across the floor, before she finally realizing that crawling was most efficient.

Today, though, Penelope decided that simply crawling had gotten much too simple. Teeny baby Penelope was a real go-getter.

She was sitting crawling around the floor of a large rooms with lots of things called books. Her Funny-Face-Maker, also called her daddy, had been staring at one of these books –or as she called them, Squiggled-Paper-Things- for much too long, and giving her not nearly enough attention or silly faces. No amount of "Awabwa-ah"-s, or "'Adda! 'Aaaadda"-s were gaining his attention. So, now seemed as good a time as any to take a great feat of baby-kind.

There was a book stack nearby, that was of course in a baby's mind completely stable, because it had no reason not to be. There was a corner of one book, sticking out a bit, that looked perfect for pulling herself up with… Needless to say, she was incorrect, and the stack of books came toppling down as she attempted to heave herself up.

_Well… That didn't go as planned. _However, her skinny man with the silly faces finally snapped to attention. She watched as his expression went from confused to understanding to worried as he rushed to her. Penelope wasn't particularly hurt, _buuuuut _it seemed like if she cried, she would probably get even more coddling, and probably guilt from him not watching her. That seemed good. She would do that, yes. On whim, she let out a dreadful sob, which caused her silly man to pick her up and start bouncing her, using a light but fast voice, and many words she didn't connect. However, she did pick up, "Pennypie," several times, which she thought might be her, but she was also a number of other things that started with "Pen," yet sometimes not a pen… It was all awfully confusing.

Once Pen had gotten a sufficient amount of cuddling, she reached down to the floor again, and her man-butler willingly complied. Penelope wasn't discouraged by her once failed attempt, however. Once she was set down, she quickly scooted- getting on her hands and knees from a sitting position was too much effort, she needed to save her strength- to a nearby table's leg, and clung to the side of it. Her funny man watched her intently, quickly calling out to her personal feeder, although, even as a baby she knew it was unlikely for the woman to be within ear-shot.

Heaving herself up, she focused on one goal, and one goal only, to stay standing. She was going to be taking things one step at a time… Nice and slow… It took a while, but she finally felt she could keep balance, and slowly let go of the table. As she did so, an unmanly squeal of delight emitted from her man, but she wouldn't let him cause her to lose focus.

_Slowly now… Got to take it slowly. _Penelope put her hands out a bit, and carefully, oh so carefully, took a wobbly step forward. And then another. And then another. And then she fell.

But that was no matter. She had done it, and the look of pride she had caused on her father's face was quite enough reward… And she was quite intent on making sure she would get ice cream later. Her man rushed to her, picking her up, speaking excitedly, silly grin on his face. He held her in the air, spinning her around in circles a few times, before pressing her to his lips several times, and planting little kisses all around her small face. Penny giggled approvingly, before suddenly yawning, and rubbing her eyes. She had accomplished great things today… It was time for a nap.


	13. Chapter 13

"Daaaaaa-_dddddy!" _ Seven-year-old Penelope's voice carried throughout the TARDIS.

"Whaaa-_aaaaat?" _The Doctor returned, following the voice to his daughter's room, to find her sitting on the floor, dolls spread out all around her. Only, they weren't dolls. From the planet Carinus, she seemed to have recruited a little army of Plenders, a group of fist-sized purple-skinned people who gained energy off of surrounding being's joy. "Penelope! You can't steal people!" She must have snuck them in from their trip last week.

"I didn't steal them, they followed me on." She argued. Of course they did, they fed from happiness, and Penelope was a walking bundle of giddiness. "But now they're all slow. I think they're sick." She frowned lightly, holding one up, who was coughing. She quickly moved to her bed, setting that one down on her pillow, before continuing the action until all… -The Doctor did a quick count, coming to twelve- _twelve _of them were cozied up on the pillow. Pen then went took the hunt to her drawers, stopping when she pulled out a calico scarf, and delicately laid it across the Plenders. Penny turned back up to her father, brown eyes wide with worry. "Can you fix them, Daddy?"

"I'm most certainly going to try." He crouched next to her bed, and pulled out his sonic, running a scan on the lot. The scan was conclusive. "There we are!"

"What is it?" She asked, pulling his sleeve.

"They can't live on the TARDIS. They need sunlight- well, their sun- _well, suns. _And fresh air, the outdoors, that's all. It's too dark and machiney on the old girl."

"Oh." Her eyebrows knitted slightly. "We better get them back then, right?"

"That should do the trick!" He stood, grinning, before realizing his daughter didn't seem to match his enthusiasm. Slowly, he fell back into the crouching and tilting her chin towards him, to have her immediately advert her eyes. "Hey, hey… What's wrong?"

She pulled her head back, and moved away from him, gently wrapping up the Plenders. "Nothing."

"Penny."

"It's nothing."

"You know you can tell me anything."

She finally looked back up to him. "You'll feel bad."

This caused him to knit his eyebrows, which in turn made him realize she probably picked it up from him. "No it won't. What is it?"

Quickly making sure the Plenders were secure in her arms, she carefully made her way out to the console room, the Doctor in tow.

"It was just… Nice. Having friends." Her voice was quiet.

"Oh." _Oh. _The Doctor felt his hearts sink.

"It's no big deal." She amended quickly. But it was.

Penelope had everyone in all of space and time to be meet. And yet, she had no friends. She couldn't.

She was the loneliest little girl in the entire universe. A feeling the Doctor himself knew all too well. And it was his fault she was that way. Adventures are brilliant, but friendship... That's an experience like nothing else. It suddenly occurred to the man who always felt so lonely how many friends he truly had in his many years. But Penny… She had her parents. The Doctor and Romana. And she was becoming too old to be content with just them. Family was a wonderful thing, but to be able to bond with another creature on one's own terms… That wasn't something he could provide for her. And it broke his hearts.

They completed the rest of the mission in silence, piloting back to Carinus, and releasing the Plenders, who became almost instantly revived. However, they didn't flock Penelope to say goodbyes, like he had expected. Instead, they seemed almost rushed to get away. _Of course… If happiness revives them, sadness drains them. _He looked at the little girl, suddenly seeing so much of himself in her he hadn't recognized before. She was smiling, but she wasn't happy. She was far from.

And that wasn't something the Doctor was going let continue. Not to her.


	14. Chapter 14

The Doctor was getting old. That was apparent from Penelope being about 15, which took about 60 times longer than it did for a human. Once a Time Person was older than eight, aging became incredibly unpredictable. And the weight on his shoulders had lightened greatly since when he had first become the face he was now. Rarely did he think about the past, but sometimes… It could still sneak up on him. The Doctor and Penelope were at the console, piloting excitedly to the land the land of Flooshes, during the first time they celebrated Rogannahham. It was all awfully exciting, really. Romana couldn't come, having gone there by herself already, and remembering meeting up with them, and her not being there too. She had a habit of getting bored and going off on her own adventures and getting queened. It was really rather old.

"And we have landed!" The Doctor grinned, looking up to see his daughter's dark hair pinned neatly to the back of her head. With her hair like that, he was rather reminded of S…Someone else.

Penelope clapped, rushing to the door, gasping at the world around her with the green sky and yellow grass. "Oh, it's beautiful!" She breathed, as the Doctor sauntered out behind her.

A giddy grin spread across his face. "We're going to miss it if he stand about gaping all day," he chided lightly. "Come on, let's run." Without waiting for a reaction, he took off.

"Oh, must we always run?" She pouted, but followed suit as soon as he began the race. It wasn't long before she was caught up with him, keeping pace with a smirk. Soon enough a village came into view, and they both slowed their paces simultaneously. "Is this it?" She huffed breathlessly, only getting a nod in return from the Doctor, who was trying to act like he wasn't panting. Once they had both caught their breath, a looked passed between them, both their eyebrows raised, daring each other to make the next move. "You first."

"No, no, after you, star-princess."

"Don't call me that." Penny frowned at him seriously for a moment, before breaking out in a fit of giggles, which the Doctor found to be contagious.

He slipped his hands into his trench coat pockets, and jerked his head towards the village, still grinning as he took off at a calm pace. "Come on, Susan."

Penelope stopped. "What?"

"I said come on, Su…" The relaxed look on his face fell into deep frown. "Penelope. I meant Penelope." He dismissed, scratching the back of his head, "What did I say?"

"You called me Susan."

"Did I?" He asked, attempting to keep his concern from showing. Penelope knew nothing about her families past. They made it seem so they didn't have one. "Hmf."

"Why did you call me that?"

"Must've got confused. You sometimes remind me of a girl I used to know, is all."

"Susan?"

"Mmhm." It was clear he was trying to drop the subject, but she was ever so persistent.

"And who was she?"

"I… no one." A pang was sent through his heart, suddenly, at the dismissal of his granddaughter. _Granddaughter… And his daughter was much younger than his granddaughter. _Of course, things like that were quite common for Time Lords, but the Doctor had become much more accustom to human life than Gallifreyan.

"Was she a girlfriend?"

The Doctor made a horrified face. "No, absolutely not!"

"Then who was she?"

"I already told you, sh-"

_"__Father." _She was laying down the line. There was no way out of this.

"It's not important, really, Penelope. Just forget it."

"Why won't you tell me?"

_"__Because she's dead now so it doesn't matter!" _He snapped suddenly. "It doesn't matter." He stared at his daughter for a long while, the anger on his face slowly fading to guilt and regret, as she was stunned into silence, unaccustomed to her father snapping at her like that, especially for asking questions. He was always one to encourage a relentless quest for knowledge. Penny's cheeks were bright red, and mouth set in a stern line, pushing back the urge to cry, feeling embarrassed. The Doctor looked down, then back up, looking just to the left of her face as he apologized. "I… I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"I'm going back to the TARDIS."

"Penelope, please."

_"__I'm going back to the TARDIS." _She repeated, voice an octave too high. He watched as she hustled away for only a moment, before calling, "She was my granddaughter."

That seemed to peak Penny's interest. She stopped and turned, eyebrows knitted. "What do you mean?"

The Doctor sighed, letting memories surface. "She was… My granddaughter."

That opened many possibilities. "What do you mean by that?"

Slowly, the Doctor opened up his memories, hearts flooding, and only giving off a sigh to show for it. It was time to tell her. It was time to let Penelope know who she truly was.


	15. Chapter 15

The Doctor and Romana had taken Penelope to 21st century earth for a bit of fun, a day at the fair. However, while there, an unexpected turn of events happened. Penelope saw a fish. Not just a single fish, but many fish. Goldfish, in little bags, swimming about, glistening in the sunlight. And, as children do, she wanted one. And, as a totally whipped father, the Doctor promised to get her one. All he had to do was knock over three bottles in three throws. Easy enough.

However when the Doctor failed to do so on the first, second, third, and fourth try, things started to become personal. Especially with his wife and daughter right by judging watching him. So, he kept at it, determined to get his 6 year old daughter a slimy, gold, filth maker.

Thirty throws and umpteen amounts of dollars later, he was successful in his attempts, and Penelope was giggling as she carefully carried her fish, named Captain Eridanus, after the Milky Way Galaxies constellation that was based off a river, seeing as she had gotten him in the Milky Way and she was relatively sure fish came from river's on Earth. Her dad got a funny look on his face from her naming her fish after a river. Her mom told her that he got that look when he remembered people from long ago.

Penelope loved her fish. She went straight home and rummaged through the closet, finding a tank big enough for a baby shark. And, being her mother's daughter, she insisted on carrying it to her room herself. Well, pushing, seeing as it weighed more than her. Now, don't tell her, but the TARDIS may or may not have made the floor move along with her just a bit.

She filled the tank with thousands of colorful rocks, along with a pirate ship, a skull –not a fake one. She stole one from her mother's lab- a bubble machine, treasure chest and whole mess of fresh water plants from Earth. Captain Eridanus was the most spoiled goldfish in the galaxy. Penelope loved him to pieces, and took the best possible care of the little fish. She would sit there for hours, reading him stories, telling him about the adventures they would go on, feeding him, drawing pictures of him, she even would wear her bathing suit so he didn't feel out of place.

And then, nine days later, –give or take. Time was… wimey, on the TARDIS- she woke up to find him floating upside down at the top of the tank. Of course the little girl didn't understand. How could she, she had never had any experience with any Earth fish before. When talking didn't wake him up, nor tapping on the glass, she pulled up a chair to stand on, and swirled her finger in the water around him. Still nothing. Quickly, she gathered him in one hand, quietly pushing him towards her, so he was still in the water, and pushed two fingers lightly on his stomach, wondering if he had swallowed too much water. She thought that was what humans did when that happened. Same result; nothing.

Finally she called her dad in. The Doctor's face fell as he realized. Penelope was going to be heartbroken. And while the Doctor didn't always tell his daughter everything, he tried never to lie. "It seems he… He died, sweetheart. Goldfish don't have that long of a lifespan."

"Oh." The little girl's face dropped, as she returned to her friend to the water, and climbed off the chair, going straight into her bed, pulling her covers over her head. The Doctor followed, sitting on the edge, rubbing her back through the blanket.

"Are you alright?" He was answered by a whimper, and what seemed to be a nod. Slowly, slowly, he pulled the covers back away from her head. Her eye were wide, overflowing with gushing tears, her curls matted and sticking to her cheek. He pulled his daughter into his lap, wrapping her arms around her, as she sobbed into his chest, going on about how much she loved Captain Eridanus, and how it wasn't fair. He agreed of course, as an idea formulated in his mind. "What if we give him a proper sea-fairing funeral?"

It wasn't long before they were back on earth, at a beach in California, America, with Captain Eridanus and a homemade papier-mâché boat. Penelope set him on the boat, and the boat in the water, releasing him with a quiet, "I love you." The family stood watching, as the waves took him and the boat, back and forth, back and forth, until he got further and further away, and sank farther and farther down, until he was gone forever, one with the sea.


	16. Chapter 16

The Doctor was waiting in Penelope's room, arms crossed, sitting on the bed, frowning. She was 16, and all… teenagery. He didn't like it.

After a regrettably long time, she finally came in, dropping her bag down, turning to see him and screaming, before recognition hit in. "Dad! What the _hell _are you doing in my room?"

"I saw you."

"Great. And I've seen you. Funny how that works." She gave him an odd look as she went to her dresser, taking off her odd collection of clunky jewelry.

"No, I saw you, with Branson, _kissing." _He practically spit the word out, as he stood. Branson was Penelope's friend who was a boy, from planet Arington, which was full of humanoids. They had met while the family was solving the continent Rosson's economic crisis of .009.

Penelope hung her head in annoyance. _"Moooooom!"_

"Aha, I sent her out to laugh at the scientists trying to split the atom on Earth in the 21st century."

"How long have you been waiting in here?"

"Irrelevant."

Penny turned to him, head tilted up, in a gesture of power. "Yes, of course we were kissing dad, we kiss all the time."

The Doctor looked horrified, and quickly shoved his fingers in his ears, ducking down some as he moved across the room. "La, la, la, la, no, no, I don't want to hear that."

Again, Penelope found herself sighing. "Oh, come on. Dad!" She moved to him, wrenching his arms away. "I'm 16!" So they tell her. Age was much too hard to keep track of. She was 16, give or take a hundred years. Well, give. Not take.

"He is my boyfriend."

"No he's not."

_"__Dad! _Yes he is. For the millionth time, we are dating!"

"Nope, no, because dating leads to marriage, and marriage to babies." A horrified look crossed her face, with the thought, "Or worse, babies before marriage!"

"You and mom got married and had babies!"

"We'd known each other for centuries!"

"And we're just kissing! Mother has told me how often you used to kiss women you had just met!"

He held an accusing finger at her, pointing along with his words for emphasis… "That is… That's… Not important." …or therefore lack of.

She passed him, and went to the door, opening it. "Leave."

"_I_ am _your _father." He protested.

"Dad!"

"Alright, fine!" He complied. The Doctor was only a _little_ afraid of his daughter… And wife, for that matter. "Fine, but I'm leaving because I have nothing better to say." She shut the door on his face.


	17. Chapter 17

Even though she was a Time Child, Penelope was still a child, no more than three. And children got ill, very easily. That's what she was. Sick, and very unhappy with this new experience.

_"__Daaaddy!"_ She whined, followed by a series of coughing.

_"__Whaaaty?" _He responded from across the room.

"Make go _awaaay!" _

"I _caaan't!" _They'd _been_ having this exact same conversation off and on for the past two days.

"But I no like _iiit."_

"I know you _dooon't." _

_"__Daaaddy!"_

_"__Whaaaty?" _And so on. Needless to say, Penny wasn't taking it well.

The Doctor had tried many ways to distract her. Telling her stories, putting on puppet shows, singing, doing jumping jacks, even wearing a dress, but nope, none of it worked… Until he got one last fleeting idea to make her incessant whining cease.

She sneezed.

He sneezed.

"Blwess you." She groaned.

"Same to you."

Pause.

She coughed.

He coughed.

This went on for a bit, before she finally asked, "What wrong?"

"It seems I've got your flu."

"But how?"

"I don't know. I've been spending time with only you, all the time, I suppose I just picked it up."

"You no lwook sick."

"I feel sick."

"Oh nooo." She coughed again, and patted the side of her bed. "Daddy sit." He obliged. "Slweep." The Doctor gently nudged her over, making room so he could spread out. She immediately snuggled up to him, and soon her coughing turned into a light snore. So that was all it took for her to settle down. A cuddle buddy.


	18. Chapter 18

Penelope was most familiar with Earth movies. Until she was four, they were all she knew, seeing as Gallifrey didn't have film, and it was her parent's favorite planet.

Today, Pen and the Doctor were having a movie day from a relatively popular company called Pixar.

They were watching Penelope's favorite, a film called _Monsters, Inc. _It was a cute little story that amused Penny to no end do to her familiarity of the monsters. Her dad took her to a planet populated with creatures that looked out of the movie every time after they watched it. It made her happy, and was rather fun to do.

But, perhaps his favorite part of her love for the movie was that she had the same coloring as Boo, and was convinced she was Boo, and would go around announcing herself as such, him as Kitty, and, to Romana's dismay, her mother Mike Wazowski.

And it was the cutest thing.


	19. Chapter 19

"You have three cookies. I eat one. Now how many do you have?"

"You eat mah tootie?" Two-year-old Penelope replied, wide-eyed, looking betrayed. Teaching her math wasn't going as planned.

"No! No, no, no, no, no this is hypothetical." The Doctor reassured, rushed.

"Wha hy-fo-tal?"

"Hy-po-the-i-cal." He sounded out patiently. "Not real, pretend."

"Pweten?"

"Yes, yes, this is all pretend!"

"Den I have no tooties." She reasoned. _Well, she wasn't __wrong. _

"Okay, but pretend you did."

"Ohtay."

"Now, pretend you have three cookies."

"Uh-huh."

"And I eat one."

"Why eat mah tootie daddy?" The same betrayed look crossed her little features.

"I didn't actually…" He searched for a way to make her understand, not wanting to speak down to her, or not answer her question.

"I woo have give you tootie if ask."

Well, that made him feel like a first-class jerk. "Okay, no what? Math class is over for today. How about we go get some real cookies?"

Penny's eyes lit up. "Can have tea-paree?"

A soft smile crossed the Doctor's lips. "Yes, a tea-party sounds wonderful."


	20. Chapter 20

My tenth chapter was rather popular, so I decided to take another bit from our RP. The girl playing Harry is another lovely person from our RP group, and Tasha Lem was my wonderful Ten. This would be Ten and Romana's wedding, along with the build up to it, where Romana learns the Doctor's real name, and a bit afterwards.

* * *

**Romana** had been wandering around the TARDIS for days, rather nostalgically. It was nice, to be back on her. There were plenty of TARIDes on Gallifrey, but none seemed capable of the character this one had. She was more than the average TARDIS, who would only take their pilots to where they should be... Although this TARDIS would do that too, just more on the off-limits side of the spectrum. She was adventurous, off-beat... Much like the Time Lord she had chosen to pilot her. She had definitely known what she was doing and getting into when she chose the Doctor to 'borrow' her. She knew, TARDISes always seemed to know, he was one of the few Time People who weren't uptight stiffs... Oh, that was rather redundant. Romana wasn't quite sure how long she had been walking around for, seeing as time was rather relevant, but it had been a while. She had gotten to go through quite a bit of the seemingly endless amount of rooms. Not close to all, no way, but quite more than she had ever before. Some rooms she recognized roughly from way, way, way back when, but most were new- The TARDIS probably lead her to knew ones to keep her entertained, sweet thing- so her travels had taken a bit longer than she had meant for them to. Finally, she decided she missed her Doctor too much, and made her way back into the console room, figuring he would show there eventually.

**Harold Saxon** eventually found Romana in the Console room.

**Romana** looked up to see Harry. "Oh, well hello there." She smiled, pushing herself off the console and going to him. "How have you been feeling?"

**Harold Saxon** "Horrible. Thanks to you. My life is once again, a living hell." He scolded, brandishing a finger at her.

**Romana** ashened, looking confused and upset. "What did I do?"

**Harold Saxon** frowned, stepping closer. "That _stupid_ experiment of yours made me go crazy. If that wasn't bad enough, it brought the drums back."

**Romana** "What are you talking about? How did you get it? I put it back in my lab." Her voice cracked, but she held her ground as he neared.

**Harold Saxon** "Your precious little Doctor gave me some."

**Romana** opened her mouth slightly, looking horribly guilty. "Master, I didn't... You weren't meant to take it yet. As the Doctor was evidence of, it had a bug or two. I'm so sorry, I... Can't he just take the drums away again? Or I could try, or..."

**Harold Saxon** "No. Absolutely no. There isn't any point in trying to help me, Because I'm a lost cause. I don't need idiots meddling around in my head constantly and I most certainly don't want your assistance."

**Romana** tilted her head sadly and took a step toward him, hand out timidly to put her hand on his shoulder. "No, please, Master." She whispered, "Don't say that. Don't do that to yourself. I won't... I won't try to help you again, but don't cut yourself off. Please."

**Harold Saxon** narrowed his eyes coldly. "Don't touch me. You should have stayed on Gallifrey." He added in a threatening tone before beginning to back away.

**Romana** turned bright red, and pulled her hand back. That had hurt her much more than expected. All she had wanted-all she had _tried_ to do was help him, and she simply couldn't. She only made things worse, _harder,_ on him. Maybe he was right..._You're not running away again. You're not doing that to the Doctor._ She looked at the Master, with a slight nod. "Maybe you're right." She whispered, looking down, blinking hard. She just wanted to help... So why was she always only making things worse, always hurting people. The Doctor, The Master, Turlough, Tessa, pretty much anyone on board she's had more than a couple encounters with. Of course, most relations had been patched up, but she _kept doing something worse._ She wasn't good. She was destructive. At least Harry meant what he did, when he hurt people. She had no control, which was quite possibly more dangerous. Her eyes began to sting. _Oh, stop that. You're not going to cry. Don't be pitiful. You don't deserve any sympathy, and tears will just seem like a cop out for being awful._

**The 10th Doctor** finally found his way to the control room, looking at Harry suspiciously as he noticed the smile on his face in passing. He beamed lovingly at Romana as he walked over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Hello, you." His smile fell as saw the saddened look upon her face. "What's the matter?" He asked in concern.

**Romana** immediately pushed her forehead into his chest. "I'm fine, I'm just... It's nothing. I simply can't seem to help the people I've been trying to, and..." Her voice was strained, and she let her thoughts fall off there. He didn't need to to be burdened with her. She pulled herself back from him, and went to move around the other side of the TARDIS, to look away. "I just feel guilty about a lot of things. It's fine though, really." She fiddled with a button that didn't seem to do anything, not looking at him.

**The 10th Doctor** remained silent as he processed her words. He knew, with the look on the Master's face as he entered, whatever he said wasn't good, and her mood and expression made that even clearer. Thinking on the events of her experiment, he had a feeling he knew what the Master had spoken to her about. He sighed as he stepped over and gently sat on the edge of the console beside her. "First and foremost. It's not 'nothing'. Everything you think and feel is and never will be 'nothing', so I want that made perfectly clear." He scolded lightly. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. Your intentions were pure and kind, just as is always with your nature. I have a good idea of what the Master spoke to you about. And really..he should be more upset with me. I was supposed to test it out _before_ giving it to him, and instead I disregarded that.I was incredibly thick and arrogant, thinking I was clever and knew just how it would pan out. Thinking he would feel better and nothing would go wrong..." He glanced down momentarily before returning his gaze to her. "I'm sorry. Sorry for what I did to him and for putting all this on your shoulders when you were only trying to help."

**Romana** "No, don't say that." She looked down and brushed her hands against her cheeks quickly, feeling streaks get cold with water briefly. "That's why I don't like telling you things. You either feel guilty or unable to help, which leads to you feeling guilty. And you shouldn't, and I hate that you do. You have your own problems, you don't need nor deserve to have to deal with whatever momentarily distracting emotion I'm having, yet I keep seeming to be pushing them onto you, and I'm sorry." She returned her gaze up to him at her apology. His eyes... They were so much sadder than her own. They'd seen so much more. Lost so much more. The guilt he had in his eyes... She didn't think her own would ever match, no matter what she did. Because she wouldn't be able to do what he had done.

**The 10th Doctor** reached up to gently wipe away the tears from her cheeks. "I hate when you cry." He said with a light, sad smile. "Not that I'm saying for you to hide it. I just..." He trailed off, before adding. "Also, really, I'm not taking the guilt _from_ you. I did, quite literally, give the vial of stuff to him. I can be very persuasive." He said, straightening up his posture proudly with a cocky look on his face in effort of lightening the mood. "So if you try hiding things, like emotions and thoughts… when you're upset or have a bad day, I will just have to figure out a way to get them out of you." He smirked.

**Romana** rolled her eyes slightly, returning the playfulness, causing a few final tears to fall. "I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I really don't mean to be so..." She moved her hands in small circles, fingers tapping about as if to signal whatever emotion she found herself unable to voice. "And _I_ gave you the vial in the first place." She reminded. "It's my fault. Let it be my fault." She mumbled, pushing herself up onto the console next to him, and resting her head on his shoulder for s moment, before tilting her chin up to look at him, and peck his cheek, then moving her head to his lap, rubbing his knee lightly with her thumb. "I love you." She whispered.

**The 10th Doctor** sighed internally. He didn't want her to be upset about all this, laying the blame solely on herself when really, they both shared it. Though him more so than her. He didn't protest, despite wanting to. He knew it would be a roundabout of them pointing the fingers at themselves and never having it go anywhere. As she looked up at him, her blue eyes still full of sadness that made his hearts ache in wanting- no needing to make her feel better, he gently caressed her head as he gazed down at her and replied. "I love you too." There must be something that could make her feel better…well...there was one thing, however briefly it might, perhaps may get her mind off it. "So, about that wedding of ours." He said gently, hoping it would lighten her spirits to some degree.

**Romana** smiled lightly, tilting her head to look back up at him. "We really should start planning sometime or another." She agreed, taking his hand in her own, and putting it against her cheek, looking at him rather adoringly. He did so much for her. Breaking her gaze, she took his hand again, kissing each tip of his fingers. "When you've got anywhere and everywhere, it makes choosing a specific location and date really, quite difficult. Of course, we could just hold it in the TARDIS. It seems fitting. And I most certainly don't want a large crowed... We've all met so many people, it'd be much fairer not to choose some over others. Plus, I do like the idea of it being more personal... Just a person here or there, not too many... I don't care who. That I leave to you. Who would you like to be there?"

**The 10th Doctor** paused for a moment. In every action he made, he always did things on the spur of the moment, very little planning involved. And why should there be, anyway? Planning took the fun and excitement out of everything. He broke the silence as he looked down at her, his expression full of the love and adoration he felt for her, as it usually was. "What about now? If we were to go to a planet, stunning. Similar to Gallifrey, in fact, and get married. Just me and you, while everyone is about doing whatever. Me and you on another adventure? ...of sorts." He asked.

**Romana** sat up straight, rather quickly. "You're joking." She looked at him for a moment. "You're not joking!" She stood up, pacing slightly, suddenly finding the need to be very busy. Keeping busy helped her think. She jumped back a bit slightly when 13 fell from the roof, and suddenly grabbed the Doctor's hand, dragging him out of the console while Scarabella entered. "Alright, I like it. You find an empty console room, and go to a pretty planet. I have a feeling if you just start piloting, the old girl will take us somewhere nice. I'll find you after we've landed." She decided, and flitted off without another word to do up her hair and makeup just a bit, and find something nicer to wear. She had no intentions to be too fancy, but a bit nicer a dress wouldn't do any harm.

**The 10th Doctor** beamed with a wide smile stretching across his face as he watched her dashed down the corridor excitedly. It was finally happening. He hopped up and down on the balls of his feet eagerly before setting off to a run down the halls, finding another console room, he would say his 8th incarnation's by the look of it, rather easily. Almost as if the TARDIS guided him along, which he wouldn't doubt being the case. He couldn't help but look about with a light smirk. His younger self certainly had an interesting taste in decoration. This might be one of the bigger control rooms thus far. Well, from the ones he's encountered anyway. He wasted no time jogging quickly to the control panel, readying the TARDIS to take off as he set a few dials and switches. This panel was so much different. Same concept, yes, but different. It lacked the random silliness of his. This one was more... fashionably proper randomness, with tidy buttons that matched with one another. It was so organized it almost frustrated him. Still, no time to dawdle. He continued on as he proceeded to set in the coordinates for their destination.

**Romana** quickly raced to her room, throwing things about in her search. She had just the things she had needed... somewhere around here. Under her bed? No. In her drawers? No. Her dresser? Again, no. After her room was properly messy, she gave up, before having a random thought. Check the plant. Why she had a plant in her room was another question entirely, but as for now, it was there. She picked it up, pulling up most the soil as well, grinning as she found what she dubbed the "Instant Image-r" under it. Throwing the plant off to the side, she picked it up, with satisfied smile. She returned to her dresser, looking at the mirror, holding up what was roughly a large tube of lipstick, but made of steal. Instead of uncapping it, she twisted the top, and it hummed to life. She watched as a little green light scanned her face, before beeping, signaling her to begin. Romana found a headband to clip it to, watching in the mirror as it pulled apart, expanding into several tools. An arm went to work with powder, evening her tone, while a hot brush slightly curled her straight hair. It worked quickly, and soon she was equipped with the makeup necessities, and hair done up. She felt strange with such a different look; the hair really changed quite a bit, but it was a good strange. Different, but nice. _Nice because it was different._ No, there was no time to have the long conversations in her head. She had to go get a dress. She knew the human norm to wear was white, but she rather wanted something light blue. Romana hurried down the halls, to the closet. She had hoped the TARDIS had something laid out for her, and, luckily, the old girl did. It was in a plastic cover, in the middle of the room, alone on a costume bar, a pair of silver heels positioned next to it. She peaked in the cover, face lighting up when she saw it. "Oh, it's perfect." She breathed in thanks, quickly taking the entire hanger, and shoes, and hurrying out into the hallway, slightly thrown off when the hallway had changed, but the look of confusion becoming a smirk when she realized now there were no doors in sight, save the one in front of her. She went and opened it, glad to see her Doctor at the console. "Well hello." She hummed, leaning in the doorway, shoes and dress thrown over her shoulder with one hand.

**The 10th Doctor** was still fiddling about with the knobs and controls on the console, mostly fussing about its tidiness; how in his control panel he had a typewriter where Eight had an abacus, his round bauble that controlled the Gravitic anomalizer that was replaced with a simple turn dial, and the big green flashy button that ,he had no idea what it did but loved it being there, was absent. Still, had to make do, and he was being very silly about it. He loved the TARDIS in every form the control room took. He supposed it was just his nerves acting up. Nerves… he hadn't been nervous in ages. Though he wasn't entirely nervous. More like nervous with a dash of the thrill of excitement, and a sprinkling of light fluttering in his chest. That all ceased as he heard a familiar, sweet, voice from behind him and turned to face the source. Though she didn't have the dress on, with her hair in soft ringlets, and her cheeks lightly tinted pink, she radiated with beauty. The sight of her made his hearts beat a little out of time with one another. "You look so… just..." he couldn't find the words, could you really find words for something so stunning? He was having a hard time doing so.

**Romana** smiled at him. "Have you set the coordinates?" She figured he had, but rather fancied moving on from the compliment. Though completely fine and agreeable when it came to compliments on her brilliance, appearance, though positively flattering, was rather embarrassing. She looked about the console, rather amused. "This is very... _Different_ from how I imagined you ever keeping a console room. Very pretty, but just... Not quite _you._ Although, I suppose you aren't always you. I'm glad you're this you though. Not sure how I'd feel about this other you. I'm sure I'd love every version of you, of course, but this you I take a particular interest in. Hm, I'm not making much sense." She was awfully excited, a feeling of uncontrolled nerves and giddiness practically drowning her, not that she minded. She moved to him, kissing him lightly, setting her dress and shoes on near the console first.

**The 10th Doctor** didn't mean to stare, but it was hard not to. He finally came out of his stupor upon her lips gently pressing against his, quickly wrapping his arms around her to prevent her from moving away as he returned the gesture and kissed her tenderly in return. It seemed like a full minute passed before he finally broke the kiss, taking in a breath as he casually slid his fingers through his hair while releasing her and leaning over to the side to press another button or two, mostly out of nervous fidgeting. "I did, yes. I think you'll like where we're headed. I've been here once before. Helped out the local population from being disintegrated from a Loforian Guppy. A very **big** guppy. Very **big**, _hungry_ guppy." He said, arching his eyebrows for emphasis. He moved back over to her, leaning against her slightly as he reached for another lever. "And you made perfect sense." '_And if Trey was any indication, I would find it easy to love every form of you too_ His mind added, though he wasn't sure he should say it aloud, as he didn't want to admit his meeting a future, now nonexistent in this time stream, version of her. He glanced over to her and smiled, leaning over to quickly give her kiss on her cheek before he stepped away and walked to the other side of the panel.

**Romana** "You're just clever enough to keep up with my ramblings." She grinned, picking up the dress again. "It sounds brilliant, now that you've solved the guppy crisis." She watched him move around the panel. "You're much too far away over there." She teased, picking up the dress by the hanger, making sure the black plastic cover stayed in place, relatively sure it was Earth that had the ridiculous superstition that if a groom- _Oh, wow, they were about to be a bride and groom_- saw his bride's dress early, it was bad luck. Or it may be Mars. Or Thri'jilian. Possibly all three. Oh, that's not important, it was just something rather fun to go along with, silly as it was. "So." She took a short breath, playing with the plastic somewhat nervously. "You... You're sure you want to do this right now? This very moment?" She blushed, knowing he loved her totally and completely, the same way she him, but maybe he wouldn't want something so sudden. It was all quite rushed- which was how she liked it, and she knew he did as well, but this wasn't just any adventure, it was marriage. Maybe his opinions changed, or maybe it didn't mean much to him, or maybe... Maybe Romana should just stop worrying.

**The 10th Doctor** shot a glance up at her before returning his gaze down to the panel. Why did it seem like there were more controls on this one? "Yes, of course." He said simply, as if that was the simplest thing he could have an answer for. He paused for a moment, thinking on her words as he stopped his messing about with the controls and stood up straight, his arms folded while he looked at her curiously. She sounded a bit hesitant. Perhaps she was having second thoughts? "I think the better question is… are _you_ sure?" He asked, slowly stepping over to her before he continued. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you along into this. We can wait. Plan everything out. Make it a big to-do with our friends in fancy dress. Because, I want this to be something that we will both be happy with. That we can look back on fondly, with a wide smile and a warm feeling radiating throughout. This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, after all. And with all the marvelous things we have seen, and have yet to discover, that means it has to be something utterly fantastic. Which it will be, no matter what. To me, we could be wedded in a dark cave on a lost moon, or in a sandpit on a distant planet, and it would still be one of the best days I've ever lived. "

**Romana** looked up at him, searching his face. "You're right." She mumbled. "I want to wait. Plan it all out. I... I'm not even sure I want to have it..." She looked away. "Marriage. It's so stiff. Really, it's silly to think about. Being tied down in that way, don't you agree? I don't want to get married. In fact, being with you... It's much too difficult... I shouldn't have come back." She softened her voice even more. "Harry was right. I should have stayed on Gallifrey." She set the dress down. "I'm sorry. This-_We_ were a mistake." She added, biting her bottom lip slightly, before finally looking back up at him, cracking a grin, quickly covering her mouth to muffle a giggle. "No, no, I'm totally kidding." She said to sooth the look on his face. "Don't be thick, of course I want to get married, and of course I want it to be right now. Because this is us, Doctor, the very meaning. Excitement, adventure, utter lack of planning. Why would something so important to us be any different?" She went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck slowly, kissing by the side of his mouth gently. "I love you, totally, entirely, completely and any other equally redundant words in any and every language you can imagine. There is nothing I want more than to get married to you. I don't care where, I don't care how, and I don't care when. I just want to be with you forever. Nothing else matters to me. And I know where ever we go, _however the wedding goes_ it will be the absolutely perfect, because it means that we are about to officially spend all of eternity together, and _that_ is what I want, more than anything." She moved a hand to his cheek, leaving the other one, and kissed him again, closing her eyes, slowly moving her hand to his temple, letting him know that she meant every word of what she was saying, and had no intentions of leaving him, and how she _so_ wanted to get married, but wouldn't care if they didn't. As long as they were together. Marriage was simply a lovely little addition, that held a lovely amount of symbolism to it, and symbolism was a wonderful thing. "Well, a bigger lab would be nice too, but you for all eternity is a close second," she teased against his lips, before kissing him again, and reopening her mind, letting him see how sure she was of wanting to get married, whether it be now, or later. She wanted to get married to him forever, over and over, and over again. And they could. And they could have different people come, different places, different experiences each time, and every time would manage to equal if not completely outdo the last, because every time it would be with him, and any moment Romana spent with the Doctor would be perfect. She pulled her hand back, and pulled her face back slightly, before leaving a trail of kisses to his ear, to whisper, "I'm so entirely in love with you, and you know what? I don't even know your real name."

**The 10th Doctor** was crestfallen as she began to speak, hoping she didn't mean any of what she was saying. She couldn't... At first he was confused, as she looked up at him with a smirk that quickly grew to a smile, then realized, with a breathy chuckle of relief she was teasing. He remained silent, simply listening to the lilt of her sweet voice as she continued. Her words brought a wide, love-stricken grin to his face, that he continued to keep plastered to him while she placed her hand to his temple and showed him, let him feel everything she felt and thought and wanted and hoped. He placed his hand tenderly over hers. With each kiss, he returned with the sincerity of all his love and admiration he felt for her. He could spend forever and a day kissing her and holding her close, and was determined to try, every day and moment, to show her how much he cared, how he felt and the happiness and purpose, sense out of all the madness, she gave him in his life. He smirked at her mentioning of a lab, she didn't know he had already built her said lab, bigger and grander, full of every known scientific instrument he could muster in all of the galaxies and worlds he had visited. He knew plenty of people who would be very envious of her at this point for the amazing collection that awaited her. As she leant up and whispered into his ear, he mimicked the gesture, placing his cheek against hers when as he whispered, and asked her simply. "Would you like to?"

**Romana** paused, debating. It was a difficult question. Of course she wanted to, if anyone knew anything about her, it was that she was insanely curious. But she had known him as "The Doctor" for over 800 years. That's a rather long time to know that someone over the same false name, and then suddenly have that all completely changed in a single moment. Her heartbeats were picking up, even more so that is, seeing as she was already rather excited from the fact they were about to get married, but the possibility of knowing something, a name, _his_ name, which he had hid for so long and from so many... It was almost scary, to be one of the few who would know it. But more than that, it would be an honor, one of the highest form at that. She moved the arm that was draped around his shoulder up, to his neck, letting it linger there, until raising it up to his cheek gently. After a long pause, she nodded her head slightly, still thinking, but curiosity beating nonsensical fear of something so personal about her groom-to-be suddenly changing. It was something secret about him, and she wanted to know everything about him, good or bad. And his name... That was good, not just good, exciting, wonderful..._Him._ She pulled her face away from his, so she could nod properly. "Yes." She said surely, before lips breaking into a smile, giggling. "Yes, yes, I would love to know. Absolutely."

**The 10th Doctor** looked at her with a warm, yet simultaneously cold, seriousness behind his gaze. "Because I could. My biggest secret, the one I have never told... Never trusted to tell, I could tell **you**. Though… everything I am is in that name. _Everything_. It's why I never spoke it. You may not like that man. He's me, in the raw; behind all that prestige and whimsical cleverness. I never wanted anyone to know who I really was. Life's so much easier and… enjoyable if you're a living enigma; A running question that is always asked but never answered." He paused as he tried to gather himself. The idea of revealing who he was, after all this time… even to her, was petrifying. The name was a name long forgotten, and for good reason. "'The Doctor'... is what I live to uphold." He continued, swallowing to contain his nerves "He is the greatest and fiercest parts of every form of me while simultaneously being _greater_ than I could ever hope to be, all wrapped up into one. United under one name, one title, that, regardless of where it is said, in every language, it means something." He took in a breath as he added "More than _my _name ever could."' The Doctor' was who he wanted to be. That great cosmic antihero. That name had followed him for so long, he couldn't imagine being anyone else. And he wanted her to understand that. That 'The Doctor' was so much more than just him, it was his everything. His security blanket from facing the harshness of his reality. And in peeling behind that layer, taking off the armor, would in part, hurt him. He stood by his offer, because he meant it; he trusted her implicitly, and his name was the ultimate trust. Though he couldn't neglect the fear that surrounded such a reveal.

**Romana** shuddered involuntarily, and took a small step back from him, never breaking eye contact. Her mind reeled, having a feeling she had never had nor ever thought would be directed towards him. If Romana had ever been afraid of the Doctor, _her Doctor_ it was now... Because _now,_ now was the closest he had ever been in a long, long time to not being the Doctor. He was about to be someone else. _Himself._ Who was possibly the farthest person from the Doctor that she knew. His name had become so important, simply by not being spoken. It was possibly one of the most important names in the universe, and easily the one secret that was best kept. She was surprised the Doctor even remembered it. The amount of centuries that had passed retaining it, never speaking it... No, something as important as his name wasn't something so easily forgotten. "I think I'm somewhat frightened, Doctor." That had meant to come out lighter than it did, and her smile didn't feel as confident. Even calling him Doctor suddenly didn't seem right. But that didn't matter. Because no matter what he thought _The Doctor was him._ She filled the space she had caused between them once more, slowly going back to him, and resting her hands on his chest. "You are the Doctor. You always will be. But you're more than him too. You're someone else entirely, and I want to know him. I _want to know you._ Every part." She looked up at him, her blue eyes calmly searching his own. She spent so much time looking into his eyes, studying them, more fascinated by them than any other scientific discovery she had ever helped to make. Even in his most blissful of moments, they held rage, sorrow, secrets. And now that was showing in his eyes more than ever before. It was a terrifying thing to imagine him as the person who caused all that regret he holds now, but it was still him. It was more him than him. The him so few got to look in on... Possibly because so few could bear to handle. He was just what he said, an antihero. _The Doctor_ was a man that was good, forced into making bad decisions. "I want to know you, Doctor, or whatever your name is. Every part of you. Because right now, I love a man I know so much, yet still _so little about._ And that's okay, it's been okay, you're the most wonderful person ever imaginable, but I want to love the less wonderful part, whatever that may be. The terrifying, evil, embarrassing, mean, scared, dull, thick, unable to dance, whatever version of you have had to hide for so long." She paused, and gently pressed her lips to his, closing her eyes, and staying there for a moment, not sure how he'd react to the kiss in the state he was in. "However, I understand if you don't want to tell me. If you can't. Totally and completely. I couldn't imagine what it's like..." She trailed off, and shook head, hands still in place on his chest. "But you know how much not knowing bugs me," she added, in an attempt to lighten the mood. She paused, before bringing her hand up to his shoulders, rubbing them slightly. "I... I can't promise I won't think of you differently; in fact, I probably will. But I can guarantee whatever it is, _whoever you are,_ I will love none less than I do the Doctor. Because you are you, no matter how not you are." Romana said her last sentence with complete earnest, the nonsense perfectly senscial, and entirely true to her.

**The 10th Doctor** stood stoically, watching her reaction. Remaining silent and surprisingly indifferent. He knew it would scare her, as it should. Even he feared that man. The man with the name that sounded cold and harsh as the crushing and collapsing of a dying star, yet gentle and serene as the soft chiming of colored glass swaying in the gentle breeze of their home planet. As she moved back to him, he felt comforted, an unacknowledged sense of relief that she wasn't genuinely afraid. That she was willing to brave this, this unexplored territory which neither he, nor she, had experienced. The last time he spoke his name, she was distant, the first woman who was joined with him in marriage, well a marriage of sorts. Having the knowledge of his true self, she merely adapted, unsure of how to go about him as though treading over broken glass. A part of him resented telling her. He didn't want to see the same of Romana. To see the disenchantment in her gaze when she looked at him. When she spoke, her words cascaded through him, bringing about a series of emotions he wasn't sure how to process. She was so accepting and loving and his hearts ached at her appeal. She was everything he could have wanted and needed in a companion and now she would be his companion _forever._ To balance out the uneven roughness of his moods and emotions when he would get carried away, to bring sensibility when he had lost his, and to love him when at times he didn't deserve love from anyone. He hadn't realized until after she was quiet that his eyes had welled up with tears. The overflowing fear and solace within him colliding with one another. He sniffled, briefly turning away to attempt to compose himself, before turning back to her. " I certainly hope so." He remarked at her statement of loving him no matter what. He breathed deeply as he placed his hands over hers and slowly leaned forward. He gathered his courage before whispering into her ear. It felt odd, foreign, even to him to say it. It felt like a ghostly utterance that lingered over him, haunted him. Though he hadn't spoken it in several hundreds, thousands of years, a part of him flickered to life; a buried flame kept hidden. He had forgotten how, admittedly, nice his name was. How it truly sounded. He pulled away from her slightly to look into her eyes. Now, he gave her what he promised, and he would have to wait to see her reaction, to see if she would still accept him after he poured out his hearts and soul, every part of his being to her in the form of one name.

**Romana** once again went moved back from him, into the console, but this time it was different. It wasn't just simply moving away, she stumbled, breathing heavily, unable to meet his gaze. The name was simply not him. So... _cold._ A ferocity hidden, _bundled _in an apathetic, manipulative, egotistical man. Romana had been right when she had thought the Doctor was a good man forced into making bad decisions. But the real him... He was a bad man forced into making good ones. She had never experienced a name giving an entire life before, not like his. Even Time Lord telepathy wasn't so... Brutal. Time Lords can forget things, but name's-_especially his_ didn't forget, forgive. It had been hidden away for so long, it seemed almost eager when he spoke it to tell her everything, _every detail_ about the side of this man she didn't want to know. It-_He?_ She wasn't sure who or what it was- seemed to be daring her, daring her to cry, to hide, to _run._ But instead she stayed where she was, hands weakly holding her up against the console, looking at the man she had once, for so long, known as the Doctor. He was no longer _just_ the Doctor, and he never could be again to her. He was the name who frightened-_petrified _her, terrified beyond belief. Because she had been so incredibly right. And the only person she wanted to comfort her was the same one causing the fear. Her hearts, which had been beating incredibly fast moments before, had somehow slowed a large amount, as if an attempt to draw the least amount of attention to Romana. Finally she looked back up at him, with what felt like a new set of eyes. She felt aged, but wiser, with the knowledge of a burden she had willingly taken on. Now she had to wonder if that was a mistake... _A burden you had willingly taken on. One you can still back out of... But that wasn't your first thought. No, you had-**have** every intention on bearing everything he's done with him. Everything in his name. And you are going to get to know this man who isn't the Doctor, the one who **truly** is the oncoming storm... The one who has already caused thousands of hurricanes. Because this man is the one who needs you, Romana. The one who holds the Doctor's fear, agony, anger. The part of him that needs you to make him see, he doesn't have to be the person he thinks he is..._ But it wasn't as simple as that. The Doctor knew the man who was held in his real name wasn't a good one, but that man thought otherwise. He didn't see himself as bad, but he was, he truly was... And that was okay. Because _the Doctor_ had shown him to her, had trusted her, had trusted himself, his true self, with her... She shakily pushed herself up off the console, straightening, but still keeping her distance, eyeing him with a certain cautiously curious gaze. She wasn't sure who he was right now, the Doctor, or himself. His stance was off, everything about him seeming entirely stoic, unreadable. There was a glaze in his eyes, and she couldn't tell if he was actually seeing her or not. He looked disconnected, but for all she knew, he was more with him than he'd ever been before. She cleared her throat, and moved closer to him, still leaving a small distance. "Well. Right then. That's you... You're... You're not a good person, now, are you?" It was rhetorical. "But, I was right." Her eyes softened suddenly. "You're very not you, which makes you more you than I'll ever understand." She smiled and tentatively reached her hand out, touching his jawline. "And you are... absolutely awful, terrifying, and," she tilted his chin to properly look into those incredible brown eyes of his, "I still love you."

**The 10th Doctor** furrowed his brow lightly, though tried to steel himself as Romana stumbled away from him. This was the reaction he expected and dreaded; Regardless of the foreknowledge and the distant experience of this, like a faded memory long forgotten and now suddenly resurfaced... the look of fear, in _her_ eyes. To see her recoil from him hurt greatly. He had to do it, it would only be fair for her to know. To know who she was planning on spending the rest of her days with. Though it was a part of him he rarely touched, daring not to give it any recognition, he was no longer that man. Or at least… he hoped he wasn't. His unemotional expression and stiff posture disguised his true sentiments. It was the initial mask he put on upon the expectation of such a reaction. While really, his stomach twisted and at least one of his hearts jumped to his throat. There it was again, that moment of regret, just as it was there the age ago before. That he shouldn't have said anything. But he had to tell himself it was the right thing. _Though her eyes... as though a world of knowledge not wanted was thrusted upon her and it hurt...I don't remember feeling this terrible before… this guilty with the same amount of pain that is in her gaze, inside me. Stabbing through me like shard of ice._ As she composed herself, he readied for the next step. The possible onslaught of anger, at being such a man while denoting an image of good intentions. He was that man. But he was still the Doctor. And he hoped, _Oh how he hoped_, she would remember that. Remember he was still the man who loved her wholly and would die for her without question. He swallowed and remained stoic as she stepped towards him, still unsure of what her next reaction would be, though he prepared for the worst. When her hand met his skin he sighed, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. He kept his emotions under lock and key, putting up his internal armor over where he was most vulnerable as she spoke. It was true, he was all of those things… and so much more. It was easy to see why he and the Master got along so well when they were young; Both of them utterly monstrous. Upon her final words he froze. He wasn't expecting that. In all honestly, he thought she would leave. Run away back to Gallifrey and never want to see him. But _this_… still, even after this she loved him. Or at least she said she did. He hoped she wasn't saying so just to appease him. He couldn't help himself, he was never one to unintentionally cry, yet here he was. His lip quivered lightly, biting down onto it to prevent it from doing so further as tears rolled down his cheeks. She accepted him. The _real_ him. He shuddered a gasp before placing his hand on her cheeks lovingly, gripping gently, almost needfully, as he stepped closer and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate and warm kiss. He couldn't tell her how he was feeling, so he showed her, moving his fingers to her temples as he let her feel the relief and the complete guilt and self loathing he had for not only ever being someone so terrible, but for revealing it to her to have her initially fear him and have such knowledge on her conscience. Though that vanished as he let her feel the dominating feeling; the warmth, love, extreme gratitude, and honor he felt for her accepting him and continuing, even still, to love him. He loved her more than even his telepathic abilities could show, though he let what he could flow through him so she knew, he was still him. He was still her Doctor. He knew he had asked the right one to stay with him, be his and he hers in return, and this only strengthened his belief.

**Romana** she laughed softly against him after a long time, rather unwilling to break the kiss, but feeling she probably needed to breath sometime or another. What an annoying thing to have to do, _breath._ Took away such time from kissing. Oh well. She looked at him, for the first time noticing he was crying. "Hey, hey, it's okay." She mumbled, tugging at her sleeves so they covered her hands, moving them to gently wipe off his face, placing a kiss on each cheek after she did so. "Of course I still love you, of course, silly. I said I would, didn't I? I'm not a liar." She wanted to lighten the mood- _his mood._ "And you're so strong, Doctor- _Doctor, you're forever and always my Doctor, you know that, right?_ You're so strong, to be able to fight off that man, to be _you_ instead. Not only are only man I love, and trust, but now I respect you equally as much. Not that I didn't already, with all the planets and people you've saved... You fight monsters, Doctor. Both externally and internally, which is a much harder battle." She leaned her head against his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be frightened, to react that way... Although, I suppose it was honest, and I'm always to be honest with you, like you were me." She sighed. "I couldn't bear to think what it would feel like if you looked at me the way I you... I suppose that happens a lot with us though. Me doing something to you wouldn't to me. Or maybe you would. I suppose I'll have to do incredibly destructive and regretful things and then we can find out." She smirked and looked back up at him, giving his chin a quick kiss. "Or maybe I won't. Seems too much work." She paused, before changing her playful tone to an earnest one. "Thank you for telling me your name. For showing yourself. Thank you, Doctor."

**The 10th Doctor** smiled lightly. He knew now he could never have asked for a better woman to, not only have with him as a friend and companion, running about from adventure to adventure, but to have as the woman who stole his hearts, and lovingly kept them safe by returning his love when he was so undeserving of it. He stared into her eyes admiringly as he rest his forehead against hers, caressing her soft cheek with the pad of his thumb slowly as though lost in the feeling of her warmth beneath his hand. He wanted to say thank you, so many times in every way possible. He was so fearful she would reject him, hate him, fear him, and it would have been warranted. Instead, she did what she always best; she cared and accepted him with open hearts, where others would not. As she finished speaking he lifted his head up and smiled warmly. "No, Ms. Romanadvoratrelundar." He said with a light-hearted air and a smirk. "Thank _you_. Truly. Not only do you do me an honor by agreeing to stay with me and love me… after all of that… but you strengthen me in more ways than I can say. And I feel so unbelievably lucky to have someone as amazing as you in my life. And honestly, I wonder constantly why you bothered with me to begin with." He joked, before he gently kissed her cheek. In attempt to lighten the mood, and return to the more pressing matters at hand, he spun on his heel cheerily as he stepped over to the lever on the control panel and hovered his hand over it. "So. Ready to go? Unless… you've changed your mind." He teased with a coy smirk.

**Romana** laughed, holding back sarcastic comments over him finally getting her name, and that she was technically forced to travel with him in the first place. Honestly, the way that he could bounce from emotion to emotion was really rather impressive. "Oh, don't start that again." She grinned, bouncing besides him. "I'll pretend to leave you again." She teased, kissing his cheek. "And that would just be rather exhausting, and I feel we've both had quite an odd array of emotions for one day, and I'd really rather just settle with the happy 'we're getting married' feeling. I like that one. It's quite nice. It makes me feel all bubbly inside. The terrified of you and you being sad is not a good one. I think it's good to suppress those feelings until the day- er, night, whatever time zone we land in- is up. Sound good?" She asked, not waiting for a reply before kissing his cheek. "I love you, always and forever, no matter what, you got that?" She mumbled, before picking up the dress and shoes and walking out, calling, "I'll meet you outside," as she did.

**The 10th Doctor** arched his brow with a smirk at her first comment. "Then I will just have to go after you again." He remarked, widening his smirk to a grin as she kissed his cheek. He gave a nod with a tight-lipped, light-hearted smile in agreement before watching her leave the room. While slipping his hands into his pockets and resting against the console, he thought on the events that just transpired. The significance of what he did, _and_ what she did. It was like removing a dark cloud that had been looming over him for so many centuries. He finally revealed himself, who he used to be and to a certain extent still was. And his beloved Romana embraced him in his entirety. It was still a bit difficult for him to believe. To believe he had done something right, genuinely, properly right, for once by choosing the perfect piece to fit snugly in his puzzle of whimsy he called a life. By choosing her to give his hearts to. With a content sigh he moved off the console, shaking his head lightly with a light chuckle of disbelief at his good fortune, before spinning on his heel excitedly as he changed the destination. He knew where they should go now. It was perfect in every way. _Well_, almost every way. It wasn't Gallifrey. But it was a close second. He looked down at the controls momentarily as he smiled lightly to himself and softly uttered "Allons-y." before he placed his hand on the lever and pulled, sending the TARDIS on a smooth ride to their destination.

**Romana** had quickly gone to the nearest bathroom and changed, doing a quick recheck of her hair and make up, all which seemed just as good as before, before pacing around in the heels a few times over, glad she still was able to with a fair amount of gracefulness. There was at least some probability that she wouldn't trip, which was always good. Not falling at you wedding seemed like a nice addition to it. She looked herself in the mirror once more, rather liking how the somewhat simple pale blue dress with silver lace brought out her eyes, and her makeup matched her shoes. She wasn't as vain as her last regeneration. She still liked to look nice, of course, but she hadn't course, but hadn't ever spent time studying her reflection like she was now. Her eye-makeup and shoes matched, _The TARDIS could be a fashion designer, _Romana thought with a sly smirk, looking at the walls around her warmly. Romana loved the TARDIS, she was home, and much more than anywhere in Gallifrey was. Romana felt personal connections to many homes she'd lived in, but none like with the TARDIS. They had a bond that went much further from the ring she was wearing. It had started before that, as a mutual understanding, one that they both knew that they needed each other to properly take care of _him. Oh, he'd be so smug if he knew how much their lives revolved around him. He probably did._ She hummed in a small laugh of sorts, smirk set more well-meaning on her lips. She realized she had been in there, examining herself in the mirror and pacing a titch longer than she had meant to, from nerves no doubt. She took a long deep breath in, letting a sure positive smile set on her face, before going opening the door, running her hand across the wall lovingly, feeling a bit more confident. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she noticed that when the ring touched the wall, the stones suddenly set as rectangles, while becoming a royal blue color, and the metal itself seemed to momentarily hum to life with a soft, light glow. But that was just a moment, and when she looked at it properly to examine it further, it had gone back to normal, _normal _being a spectacular show within itself. She sighed contently as she pulled her hand away and went to not-so-aimlessly wander the halls. She had a purpose of where she was going, but the TARDIS was something meant to be wandered through, regardless of if one had a certain destination or not. Again, her thoughts, as excited about getting married as she was, were pulled back to the TARDIS. They had gone through so much together, shared so much. All because of him. _The Doctor him, not the other man he was._ The TARDIS didn't like her much at first either, not that she could blame the old girl. They had an equal resentment of her being there, each blaming the other in some strange silly way. Soon the TARDIS proved herself to Romana, and Romana to the TARDIS, and there working relations quickly improved. By this regeneration, they were downright friends, sharing a mutual trust, respect, _love. The only time she was ever upset with me was when I got back... Back after hurting the Doctor._ She felt guilty thinking about it, rightly so too. But it was yet another similarity between the pair. As much as they liked- loved each other, _the Doctor always came first._ It was an unspoken mutual agreement, one both sides of the party took responsibility on whole-heartedly. Romana could do things for him, _be things_ for him, the TARDIS couldn't, and the other way around. The TARDIS could take him on adventures all across the universe, but couldn't go with him on any. Romana couldn't take him these places, but she could share the experiences with him. Maybe it wasn't completely equal, but it established the common goal, of keeping him productive, distracted, _happy._That's what they both really wanted, was for him to be happy. _That's quite easily why she's been making this so easy on us._ Of course, both have taken equal turns in annoying him just as much as loving, but that was to keep things fun, entertaining. There was no doubt between any of the three of them, love was the first and strongest emotion. Finally, she made it to the console room, _the main console room,_ smiling softly upon seeing him, being pulled out of her train of thoughts rather rudely, quickly overcome by his unintentional charm. Or maybe it was intentional. With him it was hard to tell, and she couldn't honestly say she minded much either way. She went to him, before he could say anything and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately, immediately setting two fingers lightly on his temple, simply giving him, _I love you,_ which somehow managed to feel so much more real when it wasn't spoken out loud, regardless of all the honesty behind it. Finally, reluctantly, she pulled away, smiling up at him in, bluntly, admiration. "Are you ready?"

**The 10th Doctor** headed out of the control room upon landing the TARDIS calmly at its destination, which he was rather proud of, and walked along the halls to his gadgetry room; though it was more of a workshop, really. He managed to find the room far quicker than usual. Seemed the TARDIS had switched the layout again and had it only two halls down instead of the usual twisting and turning normally required. Despite his nerves hopping about inside him like live wires, he walked at a slow, leisurely pace, as though his body were trying to tell every other part of him to calm. He entered the room, crossing over to the other side as he approached his workbench. His gaze turned downward at the small circular object on the table. He picked it up and turned it about between his fingers, examining it thoughtfully. He'd never worn a ring, despite his having been married before. That was a strictly Gallifreyan ceremony; filled with pomp and circumstance. To wear a ring during a marriage was a very human thing, unique all to themselves, and was too heartfelt for his people to consider. A Gallifreyan wedding was formal, extremely so. They didn't believe in symbols such as wearing a ring, or exchanged, personally written vows after the conventional ones were spoken. And that was something that made him admire Humanity even more; the showing and telling of each other's love by way of something, so many would consider small and insignificant. He slid the silver band into his breast pocket with a fond smile before he headed back out into the hall and towards the main control room. Upon reaching it, he stepped inside and over to the control panel, leaning against it as he waited for Romana. After a while his nerves started getting the better of him, making him fidget a bit with a knob or two on the console absently or tap his foot. He wasn't sure why he was nervous to begin with. Perhaps it was to do with the fact she would be with him, officially. And not that that in itself scared him. He had enemies, so many who would gladly use the thing or person he cared about most against him, and that was Romana. Though of course he cared about everyone else as well. She would have a target on her back, even bigger than the one naturally there on everyone who traveled with him, and that was something that definitely made him nervous. Or more so, worried. He stood there silently, listening to the dull, soft hum of the TARDIS's ambiance, letting its calming effect roll over him as he closed his eyes and focused on it. It was warm and soothing and rang of centuries of friendship and care between the two of them. If he had imagined, all those centuries ago, that he would care, genuinely, about a ship, he would have laughed. Yes, Time Lords were linked to their TARDISes, but it wasn't a requirement to grow attached to them. Though he was glad, very glad that he did. His Old Girl had been with him through so many adventures and hardships, and now she was here with him, as she always has been, for one of his greatest adventures of all. He was pulled from his thoughts and fond reminiscing as he heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching. Opening his eyes, he turned to the source and nearly had his hearts stop. She looked…stunning...breath taking... His eyes were locked onto her, with his expression vacant in awe, mesmerized by her beauty. He watched as she glided gracefully to him, trying to muster something to say, he was sure he looked a right, gape-mouthed, idiot with the silent staring he was doing. His mind went completely blank as she pressed her lips to his and laid her dainty fingers to his temple. He focused all of his senses on her as she spoke to him, whispering to him in their communication of thought and feeling. Upon hearing those words, the words he had heard from her before yet every time she said them in some way or another it felt as though she were uttering them for the first time, he melted into the kiss. It was as if he was pulled rudely from a happy day dream as she moved away, wanting to continue this feeling and this moment forever as he looked at her in a love-struck daze. He hadn't heard her upon her asking her question, simply listening to the lilt and softness of her voice, but not processing her words. Finally having his mind return to him, he composed himself with a clearing of his throat as he tried to decipher what she had said. "Yes. Yup, yes. I am." He said rather quickly than he had intended, but simply smiled widely at her to show it wasn't from any sort of second thought or feeling of being rushed. He entwined his fingers with hers as he took her hand, then led her away from the console and out beyond the TARDIS doors. He glanced from their surroundings to Romana, wondering what sort of things were going through her head as she stared out onto the golden valleys and rolling hills that stood before them. His eyes danced across the beautiful landscape; the trees with golden leaves that reflected the rising sun, looking much like those on Gallifrey. The soft, cascading snow, that was was warm to the touch instead of cold. He turned back to her, finding even the majesty of this planet was nothing compared to her beauty, and smiled. "Come on. She'll be waiting for us." He said softly, gently pulling her alongside him as he treaded out onto the path in front of them.

**Romana** smirked at his adorable stuttering of words and squeezed his hand after he took hers, smiling up at him brightly, letting him lead her outside, excited by the fact she had no idea where they were. She couldn't help it, she picked up her pace to get to get out the door just slightly before him. Old habits die hard... Although, they weren't quite ones she had any plans on correcting. She glanced around the planet in awe, halfway thinking it was Gallifrey for a split second. She looked up at the sky, a delighted giggle escaping her lips as the snow landed gently on her face, and set lightly on her hair. It was beautiful. Agains, she let herself be lead, taking in her surroundings before looking back to him, responding to his comment. "She? Who's she? How were we expected? I thought this was completely unplanned. Unless you had this spot and date picked for a while, which of course means you had a set place without knowing if I'd consent. Very selfish, really." She teased, leaving no time for him to answer her barrage of questions. She attempted to keep her face earnest, but laughed again, kissing his hand as they walked.

**The 10th Doctor** glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, with his mouth open in a playful crooked smile. "_Well_.." He started, with a swaying of his head in his usual manner. "I may have contacted an old friend ahead of time and may have asked her for a favor... but that's neither here nor there. Actually, it is here. Just down the road a bit I think… unless it relocated again…" He said vaguely, guiding her along through a tree lined path.

**Romana** scrunched her nose playfully at his nonspecific answer. "You're awfully frustrating." She pouted, before trying again. "Unless what relocated? Where are we going? Does it change often? Do you know when it changed? Did you check the date? We could be at any time if you didn't and if it moves constantly, that could cause a bit of an issue, don't you think? That one is rhetorical, of course, the answer is yes." She looked at him, feigning innocence against a look of annoyance at her ramblings that he didn't have on. Of course he didn't have on. He put up with her quite nicely. _I put up with him quite nicely._ It wasn't putting up with in the least, though. She loved every moment she spent with him, even the somewhat disconcerting ones, and longed for more. And soon... Soon it would be official, not that it wasn't already. Just... _marriage._ Earth-like marriage, at that. Much more sentimental. She looked around, smiling at the unfamiliar familiarity. "What planet is this?"

**The 10th Doctor** "So many questions." He mused with a cocky smirk. "This is the planetoid Fah Rye'Gill. Home to the proselyte and votary of the Order of the Tost. Ooh, that was a mouthful wasn't it?" He smirked. Looking about at the scenery around them with a smile as the warm snow fell, he turned to Romana as they approached a tall building in a clearing between the trees. It was grand, with lavish architecture that spoke of its age from a time when cold, hard angles, met the simplicity and beauty of colored and rounded glass and light stone. "The rest of your questions, can be answered right behind those doors." He said, gesturing to them as they moved nearer.

**Romana** looked at the doors, then back up to him, almost seeming to ask for a finality or permission to open them, before returning her eyes to the door, a slow smile spreading across her face. She dropped his hand rather unconsciously as curiosity took over. She was absolutely giddy with excitement, and her nerves were rather on end, in a pleasant way, so the familiarity of inquisitiveness was a comfort to have dashed in. She opened the doors, stepping in, feeling her face fall into a complete expression of awe. The entirety of the inside large lobby they seemed to be in, was made of a kaleidoscopic reflective material, somewhat like a mending of steel and glass. Small orbs of light twinkled and flashed above them, causing the interior to glow and swirl. It was absolutely dazzling, quite easily one of the most, if not _the_ most stunning building Romana had ever been in. "Doctor." She breathed, reaching her hand out absently for his again.

**The 10th Doctor** chuckled lightly at her reaction as he took hold of her hand and gently led her further inside. The inside was rather big; a tall ceiling that almost vanished from sight, endless rows of colored windows adorned the walls. At the very end of the building was a familiar face that brought a light smile to his features. She looked just as she did the last time he saw her, with that funny red mixed in with her brunette hair and the years of wisdom behind her young eyes. Though he should have expected she would look the same, she had sworn off aging, after all. He never got a clear answer as to how one goes about doing that.

**Romana** followed the Doctor's gaze to the woman, looking at her curiously. She looked much stricter than someone the Doctor would be friends with, but different regenerations, and how one is received and is very different. However, the way the two looked at each other, they had certainly had a history, one that sparked Romana's curiosity, but she let it go, to be brought up later of course, instead greeting the woman, who had an air about her that screamed "mystery", something that instantly attracted Romana. "Hello." She greeted warmly, as they got close enough. Romana wished she was more familiar with the planet, so she could have looked up proper greetings in her culture, but would have to make due with a simple verbal one, which was widely accepted throughout the galaxy. "I'm Romana."

**Tasha Lem** stood on the steps to the back of the room, with her guards and servicemen and women at each side; her elegant dress black to represent the coming together of all colors: races, sexes, creeds, and species, as was the belief and custom of her order. She had been prepared for the Doctor's arrival, though under such circumstances she didn't expect. She had never taken him as a man to do such an act. Marriage. Yet here he was doing so. She remained silent, watching with an almost regal air as the pair approached. One of her guardsmen was the first to speak. "Prioress Tasha Lam of The Order of the Tost welcomes you, Doctor and companion." Keeping her stiff air she looked to Romana as she addressed the guardsman. "I believe she spoke her name. No need for such formalities." Suddenly, she broke from her ceremonious act with a friendly smirk. "Hey Babes."

**Romana** frowned slightly at being called his companion. Sure, it was better than _assistant,_ and true, but she simply felt at this point, companion was too loose of a word. However, a small smile reemerged as the Prioress spoke, which grew even more so when the woman's stern disposition broke, instantly understanding how she and the Doctor would get on. _Yes, I definitely like her._ "Hey yourself." She replied, matching the woman's relaxed tone. She dropped the Doctor's hand to go up and shake the woman's, really when she would rather to have given her a hug. _Odd, I'm not usually one of the incredibly hugging sorts. Excitement, nerve, love... They may be playing part in the change._ Little did she know about her future regeneration's fondness towards the gesture. "Prioress Tasha Lam of The Order of the Tost is quite the impressive title." She complimented. _Of course, President Romanadvoratrelundar of Gallifrey wasn't a bad one itself... Former President, that is._ A small shred of regret tugged at her heart for a nanosecond, causing her face to momentarily fall in even less time. Her cheerfulness returned after stealing a quick glance to her Doctor, and absolute utter adoration replaced any measly morsel of a second thought. _This is what I want to be doing. **He** is who I want to be with._

**Tasha Lem** shook Romana's hand in a shake both telling of her authoritative side as well as her affable one. "Come's with the job. Though your title is equally so. Yes I know all about that, bit my business to know for when you're the running up for Mother Superious of several systems." She said, breaking the handshake with a smile. "I see you've got a new body, then, Doctor. Love the hair, a great deal more of it now. Your old form wasn't too bad. Except for those flaps." She gestured to her ears. "Though I did like that leather jacket of yours."

**The 10th Doctor** smiled at Romana with a look of equal adoration before responding with an amused smirk to Tasha. "Yeah well, tastes change. Although I do look good in leather." He commented, quickly shooting a look at Tasha as if to say 'Don't comment on that'. Looking back to Romana he took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. "Mother Superious? That's a big job, _very_ big job. Sure you're up for it?" He teased turning back to Tasha.

**Romana** smiled, liking the woman's intellect, and ability to answer her question's before they were asked. She was efficient, paced, poised, and strong. Wonderful leadership qualities, if Romana did think so herself. When she was released from the handshake, so moved back to the Doctor, who was oh so helpfully moving forward, apparently homing the same ideas, only breaking her gaze when leather was mentioned. _Him in leather. There's an idea._ She thought she mumbled something in reference to asking what his ears looked like, but was too distracted by rather enthralling thoughts of what the TARDIS's wardrobes could offer to be certain. _Romanadvoratrelundar! _She shook her head, and mental images of the Doctor with a new look out of it as well. "I don't doubt she is." She smirked surely, having to stop herself from telling Tasha she could put in a recommendation. This was the first time she had to deal with not having any political power. It would definitely take some adjusting.

**Tasha Lem** cracked a smile at the 'leather' comment before responding to the both of them. "I will do what is asked of me. Plus, I think if I can handle your escapade, Doctor, I can handle anything." She teased back, before inhaling deeply as she continued. "So. A wedding. Between two beings of Gallifrey no less. This is definitely new. And new is always fun. Are you two ready, my dears?" She glanced between the two of them before resting her gaze on Romana. "Positive you can put up with him long enough?"

**Romana** smirked lightly. "Oh, probably. Forever isn't too long." She laughed gently, growing fonder of this woman by the second. She looked up at the Doctor. "I think he's the real one you should be clarifying with." She mused softly, almost to herself. She let a moment pass as she simply gazed at him. His sweet smile, wonderful hair, and his eyes. His eyes, which she never failed to be completely dazed by. They were brown pools of emotion, memories, always seeming to mask some sort of subconscious regret or sorrow. But this moment caused her pause. The pain that was almost always there..._wasn't._ As much as Romana would like to think it was completely in part of the current events, she knew she couldn't take all the credit. Romana was many things; thick was not on that list. He had just spoken a secret older than most creation, one that had been weighing down on his shoulders for much too long. And that... That was a burden that any slight baring taken off it would make a difference.

**The 10th Doctor**'s mouth was slightly gaped as he was about to retort to Tasha's comment. Romana's comment, however, elicited a light smirk from him and changed his mind. "I couldn't imagine 'putting up' with anyone else." He teased fondly, gazing back into her eyes while giving her hand a light squeeze. "Though, if we could get on before I change my mind." He joked glancing to Tasha, then to Romana.

**Romana** raised an eyebrow slightly, trying to come off stern, but her bemusement shown through. "Yes, let's start that again." She rolled her eyes playfully, smile never coming off her face.

**Tasha Lem** chuckled lightly at the pair as she turned, grabbing the sides of her dress to prevent it from dragging on the ground and potentially tripping her ;she had already gone through that once, and surprisingly still looked graceful even in that. "Well, let's get this party started." She smirked, walking to a set of doors to her far left. "Come with me." She instructed, as she led the procession.

**Romana** leaned into the Doctor. "Oh, I like her. I like her very, very much. Wonderful choice." She mumbled, looking up at him, with a grin, before pushing herself off him, her hand still in his, dragging him to catch up with Tasha. Romana looked around breathlessly at the shimmering halls as they were led, dreamy smile plastered to her face. Every now and then she would glance at the Doctor or Tasha, still in slight, wonderful disbelief they were actually getting married.

**Tasha Lem** led the couple through the halls and corridors of the cathedral until they passed through the final set of doors to the outside of the building, the warm snow still softly falling as she stepped onto the golden grass beyond threshold. She continued walking, still holding up the sides of her long dress to reveal strikingly flamboyant stockings, which contrasted heavily with her dark attire. Upon approaching a tree like structure she stopped, giving nods to her service men as she whispered orders, who obeyed and walked back to the cathedral with a somewhat hesitant look on their faces. She turned to the pair and watched as they approached, a warm tone to her features as she glanced between the two.

**Romana** stopped a couple paces away from her, looking up at the scenery, enjoying the feeling of the snow which gently cascaded around them. She looked up at the Doctor, and gently brushed some snow out of his somehow always-perfectly-styled hair, only to have it replaced with more of the soft snow. She laughed, and returned her gaze to Tasha, mirroring her expression, before the feeling of disbelief suddenly vanished, and it all became crushingly real. She looked up to the Doctor. "We are getting married. We are literally, right now, about to be wedded." Her nerves made her face go blank with almost horror, but it soon was replaced with a giddy grin. She squeezed his hand excitedly, before dropping it, and turning her full attention to Tasha Lam, as though awaiting directions, or something official-like.

**The 10th Doctor** looked about at their surroundings with a childlike wonder; his mouth gaped into a toothy, crooked smile. He'd been to this planet a few times before, but it never ceased to bring a sense of calm and amazement to his mind, perhaps for its striking resemblance to Gallifrey. As he walked hand in hand with Romana, he looked at the structure standing behind Tasha; No doubt it was a tree, but its branches were formed into spirals, looking almost like a a child's drawings with its abstract forms. Symbols of many origins and meanings were carved into the bark and filled with a golden metal that made the writings shine as the sun streamed down through the leaves. With a giddy giggle he nodded at Romana's statement. "I know!" He smiled, his voice heightened with excitement.

**Romana** took a deep breath, trying to get a hold on her exhilaration. The Doctor's adorable response wasn't helping any. She tried again, taking a moment to look around again, suddenly struck by exactly how much it looked like Gallifrey. She swallowed, an annoying feeling of home sickness overcoming her. It was strange to think now she couldn't go back either. President ditching their post so abruptly was unheard of. She was, quite frankly, an outcast now. Romana had so willing given up so much. But she pushed that back down again as well, wishing all these short conflicting emotions would go away. Because whenever she looked back up at the Doctor, she knew, with all her hearts, that he was more important than all that. With her thoughts being a bit more settled, she took a final breath, and waited for Tasha to begin the ceremony.

**Tasha Lem** returned once again to her stern manner as she tilted her head up and looked at them with lidded eyes, "This is a very serious matter that should not be taken lightly." She said, her voice sober. Turning to her side, she reached down and plucked two flowers from the ground beside her, looking back to the two as she took the Doctor's hand and placed them in his palms. "Now, as part of the first of the fifty seven rites, you must place these in your bride's hair, following that with a kiss on each cheek to claim her as your own." She instructed, trying not to break out into a smile.

**The 10th Doctor** glanced down at the flowers in his hands curiously, before giving Tasha a look of incredulity. "To claim her? That sounds a bit archaic." He muttered, not particularly liking the phrasing as it sounded objective and possessive, and somewhat belittling. Though despite his objections, he did as she instructed, shrugging internally as he placed the flowers beside each other in Romana's golden locks, then kissed each of her cheeks. He looked back up at Tasha, finding all this rather odd; as far as he knew this wasn't part of the ceremony, and there weren't fifty seven rites. His beliefs were confirmed as Tasha smiled widely. "Oh, funny. Very funny. What was that really, 'I have the mental capabilities of a cactus' in one of the Stowian languages? Thought it was a bit odd." He remarked with an amused smirk.

**Romana** reacted accordingly to the ordeal, straightening at the beginning, finding the sudden stiffness strange. However, she gave Tasha her complete attention, awaiting orders, it being a force of habit, more than anything. She watched the flower exchange, deciding it was about gosh darn time to get over her unreasonable dislike of plants. A lot of them, theses flowers included, were really rather pretty. She gave Tasha a confused look when she said, _claim her._ It seemed widely out of character for such a strong female to remark. Romana wasn't used to being treated with sexist behavior, what with the possibility of being either gender, it wasn't a big problem on Gallifrey, so her initial reaction wasn't as offended as the Doctor's, more curious. However, if this was an overall slightly sexist ordeal that Tasha was simply in charge of carrying out... But she didn't seem the kind who would agree to do such an affair in the first place. On the other hand, she had only just met the woman... On the other, other hand, the Doctor did, and seemed rather surprised as well. He also seemed a bit upset..._He's protecting my honor._ It was really rather sweet. Of course, she didn't voice any of this, simply blushing as he put the flowers in her hair. He was always so gentle with her, as if he was afraid she would break. _Well, I'll just have to make sure he knows I'm not as delicate as he thinks._ A soft giggle caught in her throat, the thought of the conversation amusing. He'd probably become flushed, and insistent he was aware of her strength. Even if he didn't always act on it, protective instinct too strong. _You absolutely adore him_ she realized as he backed away from her face, looking into those tranquilizing brown eyes. Of course, she had always known that, but it was suddenly a much more prominent focus on her mind. Tasha's grin pulled her out of her train of thoughts, figuring out what was going on as quickly as the Doctor. She laughed as the Doctor gave his rather weak defense. She grinned at Tasha. "Have I told you how very much I like you?"

**Tasha Lem** chuckled lightly in response to Romana's compliment. "Not so bad yourself, my dear." She said with a friendly wink, which prompted the Doctor to give her a similar, though far more gentle, look he gave to Jack Harkness upon his flirtatious 'Hellos' "Did you really think I'd have such misogyny be implemented in the ceremony? It's like you hardly know me at all, Doctor. However, it seems it is I who hardly knows you. Admittedly, I was curious to see your reaction. You've changed considerably from the apathetic man I once knew. It seems the lovely Romana has made quite an impact on you. And far for the better" She stated, looking to Romana with a fond and appreciative smile before she changed the subject with a sigh. "Just something to lighten the seriousness of the matter. I do hate when things get serious. " She replied to the Doctor, lolling her head from side to side lazily from Romana to the Doctor as she spoke. "Though, our ceremonies aren't _entirely_ serious. That's not what's truly of importance. This is merely a formality, as are all weddings and rituals. What matters is you. And the bonding of your lives, woven together, now. Shared." Taking hold of the Doctor's and Romana's hands, she joined them together, placing one over the other, as she continued. "Just as the image of eternity is emblazoned upon the skin of the Am-Byth Galon tree, so shall it be on yours." She gestured to the tree behind her at the hourglass like symbol; not carved, but naturally there, the gnarling of the bark twisted in such a way that it formed the pattern beautifully. "Though, if you have something else the symbol can be set in… something you keep on you always…" She trailed off, breaking from her somewhat scripted words while she looked at Romana knowingly, glancing down at the ring on her finger. "Might save from the pain of that bit..." She added, looking then to the Doctor. "And that goes for you too. And no, it can't be that spanner of yours."

**Romana** laughed upon seeing the look on the Doctor's reaction to Tasha, and rested a hand on his arm. She was incredibly impressed with Tasha, the way she held herself, the respect her poise demanded for her, her charm, and ability to outwit the Doctor. Romana hadn't been so impressed with someone since her first meeting her Doctor, which was quite some time ago for her. The way she spoke, mingled comedy, solemnness, serenity, fierceness... It was enchanting in an intimidating way. It was quite refreshing. She listened closely to Tasha, reacting appropriately, laughing at her refusal of formality, smiling at her subtle but meaningful compliments. The Doctor Tasha knew... He must have been one who was closer to his name than any of the ones she had ever met. The Doctor he was when he was barely the Doctor. She glanced back up at the Doctor, knowing he wasn't too fond of that version on himself being brought up, and took his hand again, reassuringly. She knew it was rather fruitless, tried to send him, _You're not that man anymore,_ telepathically regardless. However, the mood shifted again with Tasha's return to being playful. She watched the woman's eyes intently as she would normally the Doctor's when her hands were taken, yet found herself distracted by the tree Tasha spoke of quite easily. She had noticed it, of course, but figured it was a normality of the plants here. Now, it suddenly held meaning, of an impossible decree. Of course, the thought of having the figure branded onto one's skin was rather unnerving, and wouldn't quite be timeless for a Time Person, who had the threat of regenerating without it. It made eternity seem less so, when it was unlikely she would truly die with the symbol burned onto her. She sighed with relief when Tasha suggested another way. She followed the other woman's faze to her hand, where her ring's gems were shifting and being as kaleidoscopic as ever. She smiled, giving Tasha a slight nod, before realizing she hadn't returned the gift of a ring to the Doctor. It hadn't even crossed her mind, that in human tradition, both parts of the pair had rings. She wasn't sure if the bride returned the ring, or the groom got one for himself, but she suddenly felt as though it was imperative the Doctor have a band as well, only partially because she didn't want him, or his sonic being branded.

**The 10th Doctor** smirked lightly at Tasha as she spoke, having it abundantly clear why he had always been fond of her from her words. He unintentionally had his face fall slightly as she mentioned him, the old him he'd sooner forget than have spoken of. Thankfully he had his mood uplifted as Romana took his hand comfortingly, turning to her with a warm smile and a content look that soon changed to his usual expression of adoration and love-struck awe that he always had when gazing at her. Tasha was right, very much so. Though he couldn't neglect the hand Rose, Martha and Donna played in him being a better man now than he was once. Romana had changed him the most, had helped pick him up when he felt he had lost everything and was close, so very close to feeding the temptation in his mind to go back to his time-stream and essentially back to his death. At the time, it seemed logical; it was what was meant to happen. That and his Eleventh form couldn't exist without his death and he rather liked the bow-tied mad man. Without Romana, he would have. He realized that really, deep down, he didn't want to go, and in this paradox they were in, this could be possible, his future selves could exist without his death and he could be happy, genuinely so. Upon Tasha's words about the symbol being 'emblazoned' he arched his eyebrow. He wasn't very fond of the idea of having something, even a heartfelt and meaningful something, branded into his skin; especially since it wouldn't last if he were to regenerate. Like wiping the slate clean. He smiled knowingly as Tasha mentioned 'something else' that could hold the symbol, and was very glad he had made himself a band before they arrived there. Reaching into his breast pocket to retrieve it, he glanced at Tasha in light annoyance at her calling his sonic a 'spanner', moving his mouth while not uttering a single word before he actually spoke. "It's not a spanner. And I do happen to have something, I think, is quite substantial." He said confidently, taking the ring out and setting it onto his ring finger, moving his hand about with a light wave comically as he smiled to the two women.

**Romana** was more relieved than she let on when he pulled out the ring. She would ask him where he got it later. She paused-_ he probably made it. He made yours._ She realized she referred to herself as "you" quite often, and suddenly worried about if that was a normal way to refer to oneself in one's own thoughts. _This is hardly the time to worry about this, Romana._ Such silly thoughts she had, always at the most inconvenient times, although, there was never really a convenient time for Romana to be troubled with thoughts, which always managed to pop up. Maybe they're meant to be there. _Romana, you can ponder the meaning behind silly thoughts later._ Romana took his hand, examining the ring with relief, and mild surprise. "When did do this?" Now was later than when she than when she had planned to ask him later, so it technically worked. It wasn't flashy. It was modest but sweet, the latter being like the Doctor.

**The 10th Doctor** put on a feigned inflated sense of pride, though he was rather proud of himself considering he built this in the interim of programming Romana's lab, just not _overly_ so. He flashed Romana a smile as he followed her gaze down to the band that matched hers, though far less extravagant and lacking in the kaleidoscope gems. "Oh, I had some extra time between a few goings-on." He said coyly, running his thumb over Romana's knuckles affectionately as he looked back to Tasha, who was glancing between the two with an amused smile. "Right, not sure how you want to-" He stopped as Tasha took hold of his hand, with a gently firm grip, and pulled him over to the tree; placing his ringed hand over the hourglass symbol before she turned to Romana with a light bow of her head and a wave of her hand to say she should follow what she had made the Doctor do of her own volition.

**Romana** openly marveled at him. "You are so incredibly extraordinary, you know that?" Her voice voice was dreamy. She remember all those years ago, when she was first assigned to him... She thought he was quite easily close, to if not _the_ most incompetent man of Gallifrey she had ever met. Luckily they had both changed drastically since then- quite for the better, if she did say so herself. The thought he had put into this wedding, into _them-_ No one had ever treated her the way he did. No one had ever made her feel the way he did, with such ease. Every little thing he did... It was magical. _There's no such thing as magic, only science, don't think such absurd things, Romana._ She frowned internally. She wished she was able to stop doing that. To be able to have a sense of magic she robbed herself due to her devotion of science. _Romanadvoratrelundar. _ She had so many thoughts in her head at all time, it was so hard to focus..._But looking at him makes the focus quite clear. He focuses you, makes you better, saner._ As much as Romana disliked being dependent, especially being one of those people who was on a partner, there was no denying it. _I need him._ She wondered if he knew that. She was loving, she was certain, but she wasn't sure she ever voiced how much she needed him. She looked back up to him, when he brushed her knuckles, overly fond of the simply sweet gesture, and the usual effect settling over her by his smile, as she once again became blissfully aware of the fact that _they were getting married._ Right, now that that was all settle out, she could focus properly on her surroundings again... And became quite aware of how Tasha was looking at them, causing her cheeks to flush, and a sheepish smile to appear. She watched, amused, as Tasha brought the Doctor over to the tree, and then motioned for her to do the same. Romana's breath caught. _This was it. This was the moment where the binding would officially begin. Her paused, not at all do to second thoughts, but to savor the moment. To make sure this would be something she remembered literally for the rest of eternity._

**Tasha Lem** watched as Romana followed suite and placed her hand beside the Doctor's on the figure in the trees surface. With a deep inhale, she began to speak in a tongue, oddly enough, not translated. It was ancient, though not nearly as much as the Gallifreyan language, and told, even in the few words uttered, of its history, sounding harsh yet bold and empirical with its rolling 'r's and elongation of certain syllables. As she continued, the symbol upon the tree glowed, like a golden orange, much like the color of the setting of the twin suns on Gallifrey. The hourglass images glow brightened until, set on the bands of the couple, was an identical symbol, smaller in size, but still with its intricacies; The Doctor's in gold and Romana's in a hue of blue and purple. Though one thing was different; the glow wasn't in the outline of the image, but inside it, moving in light swirls and running through the narrow mid-section of the figure like sand, but instead of filling the portion it fell into, it flowed continuously, never taking up more space as the color blended with that already there. "The symbol upon you is to represent longevity and strength; for with such a union, time itself shall not dare separate you." Tasha recited, taking the couple's hands from the tree and interlocking them with one another. "This is a joining of yourselves. Twin hearts shall beat those belonging the other follows. United in a rhythm indicative of your love. "She looked from one to the other, a small smirk gracing her features as she looked to the Doctor. "I've read quite a bit on Earth and its peoples in preparation for this. I know how you favor Humanity, so. I'm sure you know of the custom that usually follow s at the end." She said, with a knowing glint behind her gaze.

**The 10th Doctor** furrowed his brow upon hearing Tasha's words. They weren't being translated. He knew of this language, having heard it once before, and it was easily translatable. The TARDIS should have been able to convert it. Now wasn't the time to wonder about these things, he could look in on them later. Diverting his thoughts to the matter at hand, he looked down curiously as the symbol set into the silver band around his finger, a crooked grin set across his face in light awe. As Tasha continued her speech, he turned to Romana, focusing on the beautiful eyes before him. He could easily get lost in them; like orbs capturing the blue of the sky on Earth. And he did, almost, until he was pulled from the slight wonderment and looked to Tasha in confusion, having it take a while for the meaning of what she said to sink in. He gaped his mouth as a silent 'Oh' formed from his lips. Turning back to Romana, he swayed his head and rubbed at the back of his neck in light embarrassment; they hadn't kissed in front of anyone before, usually in private. Not that he hadn't kissed others in public, but it was usually _them_ kissing _him_ while he stood there and let it happen. And not that he minded kissing in public, either. He wasn't sure how Romana would feel about it. She was a fairly private person when it came to physical displays of affection and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. As 'take action' of a man as he was, when it came to these sorts of matters, he always got a bit flustered. "If you're okay with it…" He said, though mostly asking for permission to do so.

**Romana** too, was curious to why the TARDIS wasn't translating the language, finding she was rather spoiled with having every language always translated, no matter how old. But that was no matter. It was wonderful, to have this rather exotic language being spoken. It only added to how memorable the affair was. And this needed to be memorable, because she had all eternity to have to remember it. It seemed like a rather daunting challenge she was more than up for. She audibly gasped when the trees emblazoned started to glow, an array of swirling warm colors in a display Romana would finally let herself describe as magical. Because it was the closest she had ever come to it, because it was beauty beyond imagination that she _simply could not explain,_ and if that wasn't magic, then Romana didn't know what was. That theory was only furthered when the symbol suddenly appeared, resisting the automatic response to jerk her hand back, even though there was no burning sensation that was rather accustom with bright flashes of light. Her ring became warmer for sure, but a comforting kind, not painful in the slightest. She was in immediate awe of the hypnotic color and movement, only adding to the already stunning metal and jewels. Tasha's voice pulled her back out from her daze, and set her in a different one, one of her voice, _her words._ Her words were poetry, binding poetry, poetry that meant more to her than any others ever had- save those uttered by the Doctor. They were even more important to than those ever spoken in her Presidential inauguration, so much more so. She held onto every word. She adored that the symbol wasn't _just_ a symbol, but symbolic. Oh, that was redundant. For someone raving about words, she was rather bad at them. That's no matter, it got her point across. Throughout this, she kept her eyes fixed steadily into the Doctor's as he was hers. She was one who felt more comfortable moving about, tapping, fiddling, making, _doing._ But it was proven over and over again; being with the Doctor focused her. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she could simply keep their gaze for close to forever, doing nothing else, and would be eternally content, serene, happy. Because his eyes were a whole new world of their own, as mysterious, exciting and tempting to explore as any new planet. For someone hanging onto every detail Tasha was saying, she had an awfully hard time processing the last part. She knew human marriage ceremonies well enough. There was family, food, drink, a white dress, a cake- so far, the wedding wasn't seeming quite in the human fashion- but rings, they had rings. The Doctor seemed rather baffled at first as well, before the knowledge seemed to hit him, and make him flustered. She felt the corners of her mouth tug downwards in the slightest titch, her eyebrows following the motion, not liking she was the last to understand. She wracked her brain to process what they seemed to know, but was only further confused when the Doctor seemed to be asking permission for someth... _Oh! You stupid girl. **Kissing.**_ The couple always ends the ceremony with a kiss to seal the deal, or whatnot. They had never kissed in public before, she realized, it was... Not embarrassing, but she feared it would make others uncomfortable, which she didn't want. But Tasha didn't seem like she would mind all too much, especially seeing as she was the one overseeing it happened. She felt her features soften into the same "oh" look his had upon his earlier realization._ 'If you're okay with it...'_ he says. A sweetheart. He was asking permission to kiss her. To kiss his very, very, very soon to be wife... Well, wife, because in that instant, she laughed loudly, and threw her head back, before putting one hand on his jawline, her other swinging around his neck, kissing him with more passion than she had ever initiated before.

**The 10th Doctor** flashed Romana a light smile as he waited for a reply, though he didn't have to wait for long. Not a moment later she had put her arms over him and moved closer into a kind of kiss he wouldn't have expected from her. He was taken aback for a second or two, his eyebrows shot up as she pressed her lips to his and he thought his knees might go wobbley from the hint of intensity to it, but immediately upon those few seconds of pleasant surprise ending a smirk grew over the corner of his mouth while he happily kissed her in return. As a flow of glee and excitement, mixed with a light -though he would never admit so- nervousness, he wrapped his arms around Romana's waist and lifted her off the ground, chuckling behind their embraced lips as this elicited a slight squeal from her. After they had kissed, for what was probably a bit too long for what was called for during their current situation, he opened his eyes as Tasha softly cleared her throat, making him come to the realization it was best they stop. He gently set Romana back down and broke the kiss, looking to Tasha as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

**Tasha Lem** couldn't help but break into a wide grin at the initial stunned look on the Doctor's face, then had it remain there as the two kissed. It was sweet and affectionate, something she wasn't used to seeing from the Doctor she knew, but this one, whichever one he was, was turning out to pleasantly change how she saw him. As the couple continued to lock lips, one of Tasha's servicemen approached, handing her two devices before walking back from whence he came. In a jesting manner, she cleared her throat, chuckling as the Doctor noticed this and set Romana back down while attempting to regain what composure he lost. "You'll be needing these to transport you. As much as I would like to have you stay here, it's against the rules. And I've already broken quite a bit of them." She smirked, handing the couple what turned out to be vortex manipulators. Feeling she needed to explain upon the confused look on the Doctor's face, she continued. "I'm sure you figured it out, Doctor. I doubt my words were translated. Your TARDIS has seemed to leave you two behind, quite a while ago, in fact."

**Romana** could feel his face contort with surprise, and felt herself chuckle lightly. It was rather out of character, but it was her wedding day, and this was her wedding kiss, so he was going to make it a memorable one, gosh darn it. Her lips mimicked his as she felt him grin, but the kiss never broke, him soon equaling her enthusiasm. He was able to match her impulsive, giddy, romantic gestures by wrapping his arms around her and picking her up off the ground- he did that rather often, which she would be lying if she said she didn't love it. She squealed with delight as he literally swept her off her feet. _Well, it wasn't **swept** so much as **lifted**, but that's not matter. She was admittedly quite disappointed when he broke the kiss, even if it was on the longer side. Her feet touched the ground lightly, and she returned her attention to Tasha, not seeming nearly as embarrassed as the Doctor, who looked like a guilty puppy. She met Tasha's gaze, holding it looking rather pleased, waiting for her reasoning of cutting the kiss short, feeling it was for a purpose other than feeling awkward by it, especially in the light tone the throat clearing was in and the look on her face. She felt her eyebrows raise. The TARDIS left them? Who's been piloting it? Rather rude... They didn't even notice they were gone. Maybe they should have left a note. It's only been a couple hours though at most, not even._ Her thoughts continued to ramble, when suddenly a laugh escaped her lips. "Of course. How lovely." She said lightly, finding the whole ordeal incredibly comedic. She suddenly wondered when Tasha had gotten Vortex Manipulators. It didn't seem like technology of the planet, then again, she couldn't say she knew much about Tasha, but she didn't seem like a woman to stay on one planet for too long. She figured it was better to not ask the specifics on what rules were broken, and what exactly the rules were in the first place. More fun to try to figure it out later. "Thank you." She smiled warmly to Tasha, the words going far beyond just for the VM's. She paused, before wrapping her arms around the woman in a hug, waiting a moment before pulling back, and returning to the Doctor, taking his hand, reaching across her body, so their hands housing rings would be touching.

**The 10th Doctor** stared at Tasha, with his brow furrowed in light confusion and disbelief, as he tried to process her words. He had a feeling something was different, the lack of translation of Tasha's previous speech made that clear, but he had been hoping he was wrong; that the translation circuit went wonky and just needed to be fixed. It wasn't uncommon for the TARDIS to fly off, she wasn't _always _reliable, but to leave him, _them_ behind on their wedding day? _Someone must have piloted her off somewhere… they didn't notice we were gone. How could they not notice we were gone?! Or maybe they didn't care… oh, there's a cheery thought._ His subconscious said bitterly. He looked to Romana with the same expression on his face at her laugh. "'Lovely'? That's not exactly the word I would use. Something more along the lines of 'rude', I think is a bit more fitting. " He grumbled, mostly to himself. The feeling of slight annoyance started to fade as he watched Romana give Tasha a genial hug and a polite thank you, making him feeling like he was being 'something along the lines of rude' as well for not making a similar gesture. With a hand passing over his face and a light sigh he flashed Tasha a tight-lipped smile, though not lacking in his usual warmth and kindness behind it. "Thank you, Tasha. For everything. These included." He said, holding up the VM with his ringed hand to signify them both. His mood lightened significantly as Romana took his hand, a soft smile spreading subconsciously across his features as he laced his fingers with hers, raising their entwined hands to his lips to give her knuckles a gentle kiss as he gazed into her eyes. He let their hands fall back down to their sides, swinging them back and forth lightly as his grinning face turned back to Tasha. In one swift movement, he released Romana's hand and stepped over to Tasha, wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug before taking a step back. "We really only need the one, which I plan on getting rid of once we find the TARDIS. Someone I know has a liking for these and I'd rather not have it on-board." He said, handing his VM back to Tasha.

**Tasha Lem** grinned smugly at the perplexed look on the Doctor's face, turning to Romana with a softer smile at her laugh. She found herself with the same perplexed expression as Romana hugged her, not having expected such a reaction, especially from a Timelord, or Timelady more like. Despite the surprise, she happily returned the gesture, giving a small nod in response to the others gratitude. As Romana stepped back, Tasha looked to the Doctor, arching her eyebrow in light amusement at his words. She'd never heard him say thank you for anything before; yet another pleasantly surprising characteristic of his new form. "It was an honor and a pleasure, Doctor." She said, looking upon the two warmly at the Doctor's affectionate gesture and love in their shared gaze. She was glad the Doctor was finally able to find someone to share such feelings with; it may well have been one of the many reasons he was a better man. Believing this to be their goodbye, she prepared to make her way back to the cathedral, but was stopped mid turn as the Doctor embraced her. She wasn't sure how to react initially, never having thought he, of all people, would welcomely hug her. Still with the residual feeling of shock, she slowly raised her hand to his back and hugged him in return. A breathy chuckle of disbelief escaped her as he moved away, which was replaced with a cocky smirk that told of her sense of humor and wit as she listened to him speak. "Oh I never know with the new technological advancements of today, not exactly my area. But I was determined to have them all the same. They come in rather handy." She explained as she looked down at the VM the Doctor gave back. Returning her gaze back to him, she glanced between the newly married couple. "I suppose this is farewell. Until we meet again Doctor, Romana." She said, with a polite bow of her head to each as she addressed them. As two servicemen approached from the cathedral, she handed the VM off to one before she gently placed her hands on Romana's cheeks and briefly kissed her forehead, stepping to the side to do the same to the Doctor after she tilted his head down to gain access. "Leave now with blessings and assent. And may your partnership and union withstand all hardships." She said sweetly, smiling at the two as she turned and parted with her servicemen at each side.

**Romana** smirked as the Doctor kissed her hand, cheekily giving a slight curtsy. However, the smirk turned into a downright grin as she felt the Doctor drop her hand in order to embrace Tasha. It was incredible sweet of her to have done this so willingly, her, 'owing the Doctor a favor' or not. She stole a brief glance down at her ring, before having been completely blown away by it's totally and complete uniqueness, but now with the hourglass with never ending glowing sand imprinted into it... Romana truly wasn't one to use the term, 'perfect' lightly, but her ring was absolutely perfect. It had charm, character, charisma, and many more synonymous alliteration. She pulled her gaze back up, to catch the almost _astonished_ look on Tasha's face as she cautiously hugged back, the caution turning into a much more appeased expression. She couldn't see her Doctor's face, but the look on Tasha's was enough bring a smile onto anyone's face, especially Romana's, who felt she wouldn't ever be able to stop. She lightly cocked an eyebrow, wondering who it was exactly that was too fond of the vortex manipulators, causing it to be checked under the 'yet another question that can be stored for later' category in her mind. She glanced back at the one in her hand, having no idea how to program it, and figuring that right now would be a wonderful time to start- and finish- learning to. Romana didn't wish to intrude on a rather personal moment anyway, so she began to fiddle with the Vortex Manipulator seemingly absent-mindlessly, but looking up again at the the mention of Tasha's reasoning for having the Vortex Manipulators with a grin. How wonderful. _Because she can._ That can be the most innocent, or most dangerous reasoning for doing anything. Oh, that was a rather morbid thought. No matter, she was confident that Tasha wouldn't use her powers in abusively. Although, it rather hard to judge a person, especially by just on meeting. She nodded back lightly to Tasha, and whispered softly, "Until then." She leaned into the Doctor as Tasha gave her final departing words, deciding not to say anything back, not wanting to ruin such wonderful final departing words, simply tilting her head down light thanks. Once she was out of sight, Romana looked up to the Doctor, "She was absolutely the best priestess you could have chosen." She complimented, and moved slightly away, to go back to fiddle with the Vortex Manipulator, but looking up from it suddenly. "Doctor... We're married. And it's not a stuffy, set Time Marriage. This was fun, it was wonderful!" She was feeling very giddy all of a sudden. "You're wonderful." She added, remembering way long ago when he had called her wonderful. He was quite right, too. "You're my husband." She wasn't quite able to wrap her head around that. "I'm your wife. Oh, this was so quick!" She looked almost panicked before simply grinning again. "This is so incredible!" She quickly moved back to him, pressing a quick kiss onto his lips, before fumbling with the Vortex Manipulator, strapping it onto her arm, not really giving the Doctor any time to react to anything. She hadn't even truly been listening if he had gotten a word in. Well, hopefully he hadn't just mentioned the meaning of life that can only be said once. Even if he had, a set meaning to life seems rather boring, in retrospect. Much more fun to continue living on with one's own decided meaning. Once having set the Vortex Manipulator on successfully, Romana took played with some buttons, figuring she had set the coordinates, really, unhumbly overconfident in her abilities with technology. However, even with it seeming rather simple technology, and quite direct, there was no harm in double checking, so she nonchalantly slipped her hand into the Doctor's pocket with a wink, pausing before removing his sonic screwdriver, in a completely literal sense for anyone reading this whose mind is in the gutter. After a quick once over with the sonic, she returned it to his pocket, and had no second thoughts before taking the Doctor's hand, placing it over the VM, and her other hand over his, pausing only now to send a sweet but sly glance up to him, before pressing down on it. It was all a bit disorienting, being pulled out of time and space like that, and being plopped into the TARDIS. She felt herself stumble a bit when they landed, taken off guard from the trip. Steadying, she looked over to the Doctor, to see how he was. "Well, that was rather fun. Not quite pleasant, but definitely an experience." She realized she hadn't clarified what she was talking about, and quickly clarified, "Using the Vortex Manipulator, that is. Not the wedding, the wedding was... The wedding was brilliant, totally and completely, easiest the most wonderful day in my entire life." She took the Vortex Manipulator off, scrunching her nose at it. "Really, someone here actually likes traveling by these? They're so... Well, _cheap. _Cheap time travel is what it is." She handed the device to him, to do what he will with it, before, feeling rather stupid, but enjoying saying it, repeated, "We're _married._ Oh, I love you."

**The 10th Doctor** raised his hand as a final goodbye to Tasha before she walked away. Turning to Romana, he smiled lightly at her compliment of choosing Tasha, though really it had been a simple enough choice. At her comment, which seemed like a sudden realization by her mannerisms, of them being married – something that should have been done long ago in his opinion, but he hadn't had the sense, then, to put two and two together and acknowledge he had feelings for her. _Better late than never_- He made a happy hum before replying. "I know. Scary, isn't it? -Marriage. Scary, brilliant… And utterly fantastic." He mused, looking around at their surroundings fondly, as though to memorize every part of it and etch it into his mind. Wondering why Romana hadn't seemed to make some sort of reply, as she was prone to, with some sort of wit or light-hearted scolding of his wording or another, he glanced down at her; His head tilted up from having been gazing up at the setting sun. An amused smirk flicked over the corner of his mouth at her giddiness, responding with a cheery "I know!" in a slightly heightened pitch to match her enthusiasm of each of her statements. Normally, he would have set the coordinates to the Vortex Manipulator himself, being the one to eagerly take charge was what he was known for, but so was Romana. So, for this moment, he decided to be courteous and let her study the device and do all the necessary adding of numbers and symbols to get them from one place to another. Though he was certain without using his sonic to link the VM to the TARDIS's frequency, and therefore her current location, she could do as much button pressing as she liked and they still wouldn't end up anywhere near the TARDIS. This didn't bother him, where ever they ended up there would be the prospect of an adventure, and as long as she was by his side, he'd enjoy every minute of it. Romana seemed to have realized what he knew, which hardly surprised him. What did surprise him, however, causing his brows to shoot halfway up his forehead, was the abrupt sliding of her hand into his pocket and the lingering of it there before taking out his sonic. A light chuckle escaped him, feeling oddly and ever slightly embarrassed by her action initially before smirking at the wink she flashed him. After Romana no longer had a need for it and slipped his sonic back into his pocket, his smirk grew to a grin at the wily look on her face while his hand was placed onto the VM. Then, after bracing himself as best he could, the world twisted about around them, then vanished before them. He nearly toppled over as he felt the sudden firmness of ground below his feet, that metallic taste and annoying sickening feeling in the stomach from traveling in such a way, washing over him as he braced himself on the console...wait.._conso le?_ Ignoring the uncomfortable sensations, he looked up in disbelief. They were there… not only in the location of the TARDIS but _in_ the TARDIS. How could she have done that?... Perhaps the shields were down. That must have been it, usually nothing could transport onto the TARDIS. Then again..._The paradox_. He had nearly forgotten. People were popping into the TARDIS, this TARDIS at least, constantly. He turned to Romana upon hearing her voice, giving a light nod in response to her rambling, which he couldn't help but smile at by how adorable he found it. "_Well_, that's it entirely. Cheap. Inexpensive to attain, in certain galaxies. Quick way of traveling. If you get past the nauseous and disagreeable temporary side effects, it's useful. Although, not a method of travel I approve of." He remarked, stuffing the device into his coat pocket while he glanced about at the console room, feeling the warmth and familiarity of it spread over him and bring a soft smile to his face. Hearing Romana speak once again he looked at her, taking a step towards her before gripping onto her hand. "And I love you." He replied, his eyes sweeping across her face affectionately as it focused on every stunning detail. "Come on, let's have a gander around. See if anyone's about." He said while guiding her alongside him as he headed out of the control room.


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor looked up from the console in surprise, eyebrows shooting up his forehead, as Penelope swung the doors open and slammed them shut behind her, not pausing in her march.

"Oi! Careful!" He scolded, as if the TARDIS hadn't taken much, _much _worse.

"Not now," she hissed, not stopping as she stormed off to assumedly her room.

_Someone's in a bad mood,_ he noted, pausing, before deciding to follow after her. He had to wonder why, she had been dropped off, to the Doctor's disdain, to meet up with Branson for the day. A waste, of a day they could go on an adventure, really, but she insisted. Normally she came back, again to the Doctor's dislike, in an even more chipper mood. He heard a door slam up ahead of him, confirming his beliefs she had gone into her room. Pausing outside the door, he knocked lightly, waiting, waiting, waiting… No response meant it was okay to go in, didn't it?

Well, whether that was true or not, that's what the Doctor did, to get a surprise. Penelope was stationed in her chair in front of her dresser… _sobbing. Now why was she doing that? _"Pen?"

She looked up, caught off guard, and flitted her hands under her eyes, wiping away the shine. "Dad, _go away." _

"Are you alright?"

_"__Get out."_

"What happened? I thought… I thought you were going to see Branson."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, because she began to cry again. "Hey, hey, hey." He said gently, going to her and standing her up for a proper hug. "Hey, don't cry, it's okay, what happened?" He wasn't quite the brightest when it came to women.

"I…I went to see him, at… at the dock," –the dock was the usual place for them to meet- "And he was… wasn't there." She sobbed into his chest, "So I… I decided to look around, and… And still didn't see him… And so I… I… went to his house, and his mom let me in, and… And I went up to his, his room, and… And he was in there, _kissing _some pink skinned, blonde haired~!"

_Oh. _

Oh no. No, that wasn't okay. That wasn't okay at all.

_"__Right. _You wait here." He pulled back from the hug suddenly.

"Dad?"

"Just wait here." The Doctor was mad. He was more than that. He was _furious. _That someone would do that to his little girl-

"Dad stop!" Suddenly they were in the console room, Penelope blocking the doorway. He didn't remember the journey back.

"I'm going to go talk to him." He growled, not really meaning to.

"No, you're not." She said firmly, crossing her arms.

"And why not?"

"Because it's none of your business."

"I'm just going to teach him a thing or two about respect."

"_No, _you are _not." _

He stared at her for a moment. She really didn't want him going. Sucking in a breath through his nose, he nodded slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry." That was unfair of him. She had been upset, and he'd taken that from her by needing her to be the adult.

"It's alright, just… Leave him alone, okay?"

"I will."

She nodded slowly. "Good, thank you." She still looked on the brink of tears, as she should. Again, he pulled her into him.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To get you ice cream." He looked down at her, with a light smirk.

Her mouth mimicked his. "Thank, you, dad."

"Of course, star-princess."


	22. Chapter 22

"Daddy?" Penny asked from her bed, the Doctor's latest bed time story –or, recounting of a past adventure of his- having just have concluded.

"Yes?" He smiled, ruffling the small girl's mess of hair affectionately.

"Pwromees me I go on adventuwre too." Her eyes were wide, but completely serious. Children were so funny, with what they took so seriously and what they were willing to be so free spirited about. The Doctor, at least with this child, loved it, and found her to be endlessly amusing.

"Penelope," He crouched down next to her bed, so they were eye level. "I promise you will go on the most extraordinary adventures of anyone in the entire universe." While thinking it, the Doctor felt his response was one rather silly, to appease his daughter. But when he said it, he found himself to be completely earnest. It was a promise he had every single intention to keep.

She settled back into her pillow, seeming satisfied with his response, possibly able to sense his honesty. Kids were known to have intuitions like that. Along with Zoryaks. But that wasn't the best comparison. Children with giant orange… blobs. "Goowd. You can go." She dismissed, ever the little general.

He snorted lightly. "Thank you, princess."

"Daddy!" She scolded, warranting a chuckle from him.

"Star-princess."

"Muwch bettawr." She nodded, closing her eyes.

The Doctor paused for a moment at the light switch, looking at her with a warm smile, before shutting the lights off, and leaving his star-princess to her beauty sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

It was the best gosh-dang thing baby Penny had ever tastes. It was creamy and white, but nothing like the stuff that came out of her mommy. It was so much better. One spoonful, and she was hooked. Her mommy had been ever insistent that she would grow up eating healthy foods, like green mush, orange goop, and brown squish, but that's why daddy was her favorite.

He had her to the kitchen, set her in her high-chair, and declared, "If you ever tell your mother about this, you will never see me again, because she's killed me, understand."

Of course, Penny didn't understand a word of what he said, but he was doing the funny thing with his eyebrows, so she laughed. Of course, had she have been able to understand him, no doubt would she have thought something along the lines of, _"I can't speak, how could I tell her, you ding-dong?" _

"Daddy dying is not funny, young lady." However, the Doctor was using his baby-talk voice and smiling, so the actual message was not properly executed through tone.

Now, Penny didn't know what drugs were yet, but if she had, she would have assumed the miracle of what she just tasted were them.

"This is called ice cream, and it's what you'll be eating out of tubs when you're older and upset over a boy who will probably mysteriously be finding a Dalek in his room later that evening."

Penelope, however, cared less about what he was saying than usual. All she knew was she wanted this magical substance called _ice cream _to be in her mouth now. She leaned across the little table, doing grabby hands and squirming anxiously. "Aa, aa!"

Either because the Doctor could speak baby, or it was quite obvious she wanted more, (it was the latter option) he dished out another spoonful to her, chuckling as she grabbed onto the spoon herself and helped him direct it into her own more. "O!"

The Doctor could take a wild guess and assume she wanted more, which is exactly what she did want. And it was exactly what she got.

Penelope didn't think she had ever loved her daddy as much as she did now.


	24. Chapter 24

Dragging the Doctor through the halls, of the TARDIS, three-year-old Penelope was practically shaking with excitement. "Hurry, daddy, hurry!" Penny wasn't quite aware it was herself that couldn't keep up. Lucky for her, the Doctor did, and quickly swooped her up in his arms, starting in a sprint, with Penny pointing to direct him to their destination.

Earlier, he hadn't quite been in the best of moods, which happened every so often, and was something that Penelope wouldn't let stand.

"Thewre!" She announced, pointing to a grand black door. The music room. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, but knew perfectly well she had sworn herself to secrecy, so didn't bother to ask.

He set her down, smiling as she raced to the door, pulling it open with much difficulty –she wouldn't let him help, but he had a feeling the TARDIS did instead.

Penelope went straight to a little area she had obviously set up, from the fact all the other instruments had been pushed back, save a little ukulele0like instrument from the planet Versemorn.

"Sit!" She commanded, picking the instrument up. Obediently, he sat, a grin already starting to spread across his face in anticipation.

Once she felt she had his complete attention, she started strumming the instrument, in no particular order, to no particular tune.

However, she had set lyrics, even if they were also out of tune.

It was her favorite Earth song.

"I swee twrees uh gwreen, rwed rwoses tw-oo." A full-toothed grin broke out across the Doctor's face.

"I swee dem bwloom fowr me, fowr 'oo." This caused a small chuckle.

"An' I think tw-oo me, what a wonder-fu' wowrld."

Penelope didn't know the words after that very well except the chorus, but luckily she didn't have to, because she was cut off by the Doctor standing up and scooping her into a ginormous hug.


End file.
